There is a new egg study from the USDA which is reporting results as of 7/7/10.  The study report can be found at

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100707.htm

Several news organizations are reporting on the findings of this new study.  I have seen these reports and they sound exactly like the study report which says it finds:

"There's no substantial quality difference between eggs produced under different production systems."

Consumers BEWARE!!  You do not have a government which is looking out for your health, and you do not have news agencies which care about you either.

How can I make such bold statements?  Well, after reading the study report I had to ask some questions which, of course, the news reports didn't think to ask:

1.  Why did you use only one factor to determine "quality?" (The USDA only looked at albumen size, the "gold standard" developed in 1937 for determining egg quality.)

2.  Why would a test designed in 1937 still be the "gold standard" when surely we have better measurements today such as:  chemical components of eggs (how much good stuff is actually in there, like omega 3 oils?,) yolk size and composition, amount of chemical residue in eggs, etc.?  I could think of a zillion questions to ask to compare supermarket eggs to farm eggs!!

3.  Couldn't the mission of the Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit which conducted the study have skewed what was looked at?  Specifically the part about "protecting the marketability" of eggs?  Who paid for the study?

4.  Why does the USDA put, "expanding markets for agricultural products" ahead of anything having to do with consumers in its Strategic Plan Framework?  What could the impact of this focus have had on this study?

5.  And now for the best question of all:  Have you tasted a farm fresh egg from chickens who run around outside? 

The last question is the most important because you can talk all day about the study you did which proves this or that about factory farm conventionally produced eggs being exactly like farm fresh eggs, but one bite into the luscious golden yellow yolk of a fresh egg will blow that out of the water!  And common sense will tell you that if the eggs were really scientifically compared on multiple measures the product of the small egg producer would also win in nutrition and value for the money.  The USDA actually says, "Pricing for these products (specialty eggs) is typically at a premium..." indicating again, that our only criteria for selecting food should be low price.  Ugh, people you really do get what you pay for.  Garbage doesn't cost much, but hand-produced foods do and they pay you back in health and true enjoyment of real food.

Now go hit a farmer's market somewhere near you and buy up all the produce and eggs!

         These eggs cost 29 cents           each.  The USDA thinks I  paid too much.  Learn to question authority, especially about the food you consume!