"The eggs get their colour from the chicken's legs and comb, which can lighten over time. The colour of the yolk is also more yellow and rich when the chickens are free range and eating grubs." Carotene is added to feed to make yolks yellow in caged eggs.
The main egg colour available in Australia is brown, although a small number of farms also sell white eggs. While many people assume brown eggs are more natural and therefore healthier, that's not the case. Brown hens lay brown eggs, white hens lay white eggs, and they both have the same nutritional profile.
The color of the shell does not affect the nutrient content. There is no nutritional difference between a white and a brown egg. The breed of the hen determines the color of her eggs. Chickens such as the Leghorn, White Rock and Cornish, lay white eggs.
Chicken egg colours explained:
Brown eggs: caused by protoporphyrin IX, from the hen's haemoglobin, and is coated on the outside of the egg as it moves through the oviduct.
The color of the egg doesn't matter. What is important is the quality of the egg. You might notice that most chefs and bakers use brown eggs instead of white. This is most likely because brown eggs tend to be fresher than white as they come from local farms.
Brown eggs are more expensive than white eggs because it costs more money to feed the chickens that produce the brown eggs. These hen breeds require more energy to lay their eggs and in turn, they will eat more and require larger amounts of food.
The eggshell colour depends on the breed of the hen. Generally speaking, white shell eggs come from hens with white feathers, while brown shell eggs are produced by hens with brown feathers. Nutritionally, both brown and white eggs are identical unless the feed has been enhanced for speciality eggs such as Omega-3.
The American Heart Association recommends up to one egg a day for most people, fewer for people with high blood cholesterol, especially those with diabetes or who are at risk for heart failure, and up to two eggs a day for older people with normal cholesterol levels and who eat a healthy diet.
Pasture-Raised Eggs / Pastured Eggs): Pasture-raised eggs (sometimes referred to as pastured eggs) are the healthiest eggs to buy, no question. Pasture-raised means that the hens are free to roam and graze freely in a large open pasture.
Parrots and cockatoos, on the other hand, lay eggs that are white and mostly round which makes them more visible in dark tree hollows where they nest.
But why is this? About 40 years ago, people decided that they didn't like the look of white eggs, so brown eggs were the ones sent to supermarkets for selling, and white eggs were reserved for restaurants and cafes aka where customers wouldn't seem them in their shells.
Brown eggs are more expensive than white eggs because of the difference in the hens that lay them. White eggs are laid by chickens with white feathers and white ear lobes, while brown eggs are laid by red-feathered chickens with red ear lobes.
Cloudiness of raw white is due to the natural presence of carbon dioxide that has not had time to escape through the shell and is an indication of a very fresh egg. As an egg ages, the carbon dioxide escapes and the egg white becomes more transparent.
Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without affecting their heart health. Some choose to eat only the egg white and not the yolk, which provides some protein without the cholesterol.
Although few studies have been conducted on how many eggs are healthy to have on a daily basis, eating 1-2 eggs a day appears to be safe for healthy adults. If you have heart disease, high cholesterol, or diabetes, however, you should watch your overall cholesterol and saturated fat intake.
Do Fresh Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated? Freshly laid eggs need to be refrigerated immediately. Fresh eggs purchased from a farmers market need to be refrigerated as soon as you get home. Per USDA guidelines, eggs should be stored at 40 degrees F or below to help minimize the risk of Salmonella.
It's a common misconception that the colour of a bird's feathers influences the colour of the eggs that they lay. The truth is feather colour has no relation to eggshell colour. Are brown eggs better than white eggs? Several studies have found that shell colour has no significant effect on egg quality and composition.
COVID increased demand relative to supply and also significantly increased operating costs. There is now a push from major retailers to transition from caged eggs to cage-free eggs which is having a significant impact on caged eggs - which traditionally make up the bulk of egg supply in Australia.
Yes, it is ok. It's rare to see as less than 1% of eggs will contain a blood spot. Normally during grading these eggs will be separated, however sometimes an egg will slip through as it's harder to see blood spots in brown eggs.
Hard-boiled eggs are an excellent source of lean protein. They'll fill you up without packing in too many calories, which is helpful if you want to lose weight. The protein in hard-boiled eggs also works alongside vitamin D to promote prenatal development.
While it is true that eggs are cleaned before being packaged and sent to your grocery store, they are not bleached. In fact, most eggs start out white, but different breeds are genetically coded to release different colored pigments as the egg passes through the hen's oviduct. Voilà!
Many people believe that white eggs are bleached, but this is not the case. White eggs are laid by chickens that don't produce any pigment as the egg passes through their oviduct - they just come out like that.