EGG-OLOGY

Deciphering Egg Labels

ORGANIC

• Description: Chickens are cage free with ability to go outdoors. Chickens cannot have any antibiotics and are fed organic vegetarian food.
• Regulation: USDA Organic is the only label backed by Federal regulations. These are the best to buy in stores.

FREE-RANGE

• Description: Chickens are not in cages. The ability to go outdoors and time spent there is not regulated. Chickens can go outside at times.
• Regulation: There are no regulations on what chickens are fed.

CAGE-FREE

• Description: Chickens not in cages; they may or may not go outdoors. There is no regulation on how densely chickens live in their cage free environment.
• Regulation: No regulations on type of food chickens are fed.

CERTIFIED HUMANE

• Description: Chickens live in a barn or warehouse, out of cages. They may have outdoor access.
• Regulation: There are regulations on how densely the birds are stored in the barn but no regulations regarding the chicken’s ability to perform natural behaviors.