How to understand what egg carton labels mean plus watch our Featured Video: Egg Labels: What you need to know. Egg carton labels can be deceptive so it is important that you know what these labels really mean. Labels information described here are: Cage free, American humane certified egg carton, Certified humane, Food alliance certified, Animal welfare approved, Antibiotic free, Pasture raised, Certified organic, Free range, Omega-3, United egg producer's certified, Hormone free, Vegetarian, and Natural.
American Humane Certified Egg on Carton Label Means:
Certified Organic on Egg Carton Label Means:
United Egg Producers Certified on Egg Carton Labels Means:
Most common supermarket eggs which are laid by hens kept in battery hen cages.
Hormone Free on Egg Carton Labels Means:
Hormone free is just a marketing trick because egg laying hens are not given hormones.
Vegetarian-Veg on Egg Carton Label Means:
Prohibits animal by products in chicken feed.
Natural on Egg Carton Label Means:
This is a marketing gimmick because all eggs are natural.
- Includes producers of cage free birds
- Permits the use of cages for housing egg laying hens
- Prohibits forced molting
- Allows beak cutting
- Prohibits cages
- Requires space for hens to roam and perform natural behaviors
- Prohibits the use of animal by products in feed
- Prohibits the use of growth promoters
- Allows beak cutting
- Prohibits cages
- Requires space to roam and access to natural light
- Prohibits forced molting
- Allows beak cutting
- Free space to roam but no access to sunlight
- Allows beak cutting
- Does not regulate feed
- Does not regulate antibiotic use
- Limits flock size to 500 birds Max.
- Requires sizable ranging and foraging access to outdoors
- Prohibits the use of animal byproducts in feed
- Prohibits forced molting
- Prohibits beak cutting
- Prohibits use of antibiotics in feed or water during growth periods of pullets or while hens are laying
- Documentation must be provided to prove hens are raised without antibiotics
- Allows cages
- Feed rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (can have as much as twice the amount of Omega-3 as factory farmed hens)
- Requires hens get to go outdoors to hunt, peck, and graze on their natural diets
- Not regulated or enforced
Certified Organic on Egg Carton Label Means:
- Prohibits cages
- Prohibits antibiotics
- Requires access to outdoors
- Requires organic feed
- Allows beak cutting
- Allows forced molting
- Prohibits cages
- Requires access to outdoors (small door or concrete slab counts as outdoors)
- Does not regulate feed
United Egg Producers Certified on Egg Carton Labels Means:
Most common supermarket eggs which are laid by hens kept in battery hen cages.
Hormone Free on Egg Carton Labels Means:
Hormone free is just a marketing trick because egg laying hens are not given hormones.
Vegetarian-Veg on Egg Carton Label Means:
Prohibits animal by products in chicken feed.
Natural on Egg Carton Label Means:
This is a marketing gimmick because all eggs are natural.
References: Guidance for Industry. Understanding Egg Labels (04/03/2014). takepart.com. http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/04/03/understanding-egg-labels