The reality of free range eggs

Academic researchers often produce theories and reports designed to demonstrate what 'free range' means in the egg industry. Celebrity chefs usually confine themselves to mistaken comments that bright yolk colour defines that an an egg is free range. The fact is that Yolk colour varies, depending on the hen’s diet. If the yolk colour is always a bright, golden almost orange colour, the hens have almost certainly been fed colouring additives. Academic findings are usually based on carefully arranged criteria set by an organisation which funds the research and expects specific outcomes. Far better to rely on the experience of those in the industry actually running free range egg farms. Some people are fixated on the issue of animal welfare and they lose sight of matters like food safety and land sustainability. Outdoor stocking density is a key example. Academics found it easy to come up with results from research on small scale or short term projects to demonstrate that stocking densities had little or no impact on hen welfare. But it has been impossible for them to demonstrate that high densities had no detrimental impact on pasture quality, pollution of waterways, groundwater and the long term productivity of the land as a result of excessive nutrient loads. The maximum sustainable stocking density for poultry has been established at 1500 hens per hectare to minimise land degredation and ensure the long-term viability of the land. Laying hens, like most if not all other animals, perform best when they are able to follow their natural behaviour. They clearly need shelter, food and water but they also need to wander around freely to forage, scratch, dust bathe and interact socially with others in the flock.

Look out for colouring additives in food

It's not only the colour of egg yolks which is manipulated to make them look more attractive to consumers.

Chart from Kitchen Table Scraps. The same additives are used by fish farmers. Wild salmon forage for crustaceans, plankton and algae that contain naturally occurring colourful carotenoid plant pigments. Farmed salmon, are fed an artificial soy- and corn-based diet devoid of these natural pigments, which means their flesh has little colour. To prevent consumer rejection of the product, salmon farmers add canthaxanthin and astaxanthin to the fish feed to boost the colour. Meat producers also use a few tricks to make their products more appealing – such as bleaching chicken to make the flesh white, even though colouring additives have often been included in the diet to produce yellow skins which some producers think is wanted by consumers. Frequently red meat is sealed in airtight packages treated with carbon monoxide to maintain a bright red colour for weeks. The best solution is to limit shopping in supermarkets to household items like toilet paper. Toothpaste and cleaning products. Buy all fresh food from trusted suppliers – butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers.

Manufactured colouring additives used in poultrry feed to fool consumers.

Sydney6s Daily Telegraph ran a story alerting consumers to t he widespread use of colouring additives in chook food to enhgance the colour of egg yolks in eggs.http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%2Fnews%2Fnsw%2Fthe-yolks-on-us-aussie-eggs-not-all-theyre-cracked-up-to-be%2Fnews-story%2Fcb038b4467c8aa07fa8d130e8dcb97d3&h=8AQET8iiT&enc=AZN--fbuHvPoi4rUrXLy2RMRgQb6XcVpyA_3sGdmyriIbT9b7Pjwc4gw86xUCNfpVw0fEGDplzfSR5v6OSRlxVeXe6rSYIUUJiuvReadeXpz1bEnL8uOb6bgDq7PjxDQ2LFbZCIw908lZ5uTvTvcT1OnIzixxGucpF9zar4-xOZZpWtlsjNw4wX3RfjTcmO06n7xHi7DW7pI82FmblZpprUh&s=1 We have been concerned about this for years as many people have allergic reactions to some of the colouring agents

Consumers ripped-off by some egg producers

The gullibility of consumers never ceases to amaze me. Most just accept the marketing blurb provided by producers – even at Farmers' Markets.

Recent hot weather has been used as an excuse by some egg producers to put manufactured colouring additives and meat meal in their poultry rations. (Many others have been doing that for years).

Now more than 95% (and it's probably 99%) of egg producers, even those which claim to be free range, are using additives to enhance yolk colour as hot conditions have dried off the pasture on which the hens are supposed to roam.

They have looked for a solution which is low cost and easy rather than go to the extra effort (and cost) of supplementing existing feed with green leafy vegetables, pumpkins, carrots and lucerne meal or sprouted grains.

Here's a Facebook post by an egg producer which provides an 'excuse' for its decision: “Please note that we have an immediate change in poultry diet based on veterinary and animal nutritionist’s advice due to severe heat stress caused by prolonged 40’C + temperatures.
Our feed ration needs to include soluble meat protein and natural pigmentation (which is the norm in the egg industry). The extreme heat has decimated our green pasture and caused weight loss in flocks and as such we have no alternative but to implement these changes to our farming practices”.

The big difficulty with colouring additives is that although some may be based on natural products, they are manufactured in laboratories or factories (often in China) and concentrated in powder or liquid form. Many of them generate allergic reactions or sensitivities – which lead people to think that they are allergic to eggs.

 

We can provide details about the allergic properties of the commonly used additives.

The use of meat meal is also an issue as poultry products are frequently used by the feed mills.

Sorghum v Corn in poultry feed may lead to more colouring additives

Scott Beyer, PhD, a researcher at Kansas State University in the US has found that grain sorghum varieties compare favourably to corn in low-cost feed formulations. Old varieties of grain sorghum contained relatively high amounts of the anti-nutritional compound, tannin. The presence of tannin in poultry feeds is known to suppress growth and performance of all types of poultry. Tannins bind to proteins and render them less available for metabolism.

Over decades of research, sorghum varieties that contained various levels of tannin were used to compile tables and other references for the feeding value of sorghum compared to corn. Many nutritionists continue to think of it as a lesser grain although new varieties have been introduced with high relative nutrient values. Some varieties of grain sorghum containing significant quantities of tannin are still around but varieties are grown for animal feed that are 99 percent free of tannin.

The nutrient profile of sorghum is complementary to protein sources typically used in poultry rations anywhere in the world, and is very similar to corn. Amino acid digestibility compares favourably with corn. The fat content of grain sorghum and the energy value for poultry is slightly lower when compared to corn. However, this difference can be balanced in rations with other sources of energy.

The big drawback with replacing corn with sorghum is that it contains smaller quantities of yellow xanthophylls required for egg yolk pigmentation – which means that even more egg farmers will resort to adding colouring additives to enhance yolk colour.

Accreditation, egg substitution and deception

Egg substitution has been rife for years but probably first came to general notice in Victoria during 2007 with a high profile case when a company was fined for labelling eggs as organic when they were from conventional farms.

In 2012, a NSW barn egg farm was fined for packaging its eggs as free range and a South Australian egg seller was fined for putting cage eggs in free range cartons.

Also in 2012. An egg farm in WA was caught with a huge overstocking rate which breached its planning conditions. This farm was accredited by a national egg quality scheme but despite annual audits which required compliance with planning conditions the farm remained accredited. It's accreditation was only withdrawn once the breaches became public and legal proceedings began.

In Victoria in 2012 inspection and audit processes revealed that a farm which sold eggs to a major supermarket was packing and selling non-accredited eggs from dubious sources and that colouring additives were being used in poultry feed – breaching particular standards.

Labels can also be misleading, with pictures of hens frolicking on green pasture, which frequently doesn't resemble conditions on the farm.

A questionable 'organic' accreditation body also exists in Victoria which is not recognised by mainstream organic bodies and which does not have a credible inspection process – but it claims that the products which members sell are certified organic. AQIS, which registers organic certification bodies in Australia, is apparently only involved with export industries – so it has no jurisdiction over domestic 'organic' claims.

Accreditation means different things to different people. Consumers rightly expect it to convey a message of credibility about a particular product, but to many businesses it's simply a marketing tool designed to allow them to make claims which increase their profits.

Similarly, a logo can be a valuable asset if it is trusted by consumers. But it's value can be destroyed if it is shown to be meaningless. Any accreditation program is only as good as the willingness of the accreditation body to maintain its standards and defend its logo.

That is why it is so disappointing that standards are ignored by accreditation bodies. Even using things like egg yolk colourings should be disclosed to consumers. Everyone expects cage farms to use them to enhance yolk colour but it is not necessary on a genuine free range farm with low stocking densities and plenty of green feed. It needlessly puts consumers at risk.

To maintain ethical standards and credibility, all certification bodies need to defend their standards and take action against members who break the rules.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has sent out notices to many egg producers, requiring them to justify the claims made on their packaging – claims such as 'free range'.

Hopefully this will start a 'clean-up' process.

Problems with colouring in eggs

As this is Food Allergy Awareness Week in Australia, it is worth looking at the widespread use of colouring additives. All major egg producers and many small ones - even those which claim to be free range and organic - use colouring additives in the feed they give their hens. Some members of the Free Range Farmers Association have been deliberately using those additives for more than a year – even though the use of manufactured colourings is a clear breach of the Association's standards.

The use of those additives is completely unnecessary in a free range flock, as hens running on quality pasture and at low stocking densities will obtain enough carotenoids from the green feed in the paddock to maintain good yolk colour. The colour will vary – depending on the time of year and what each hen has been eating – but many egg producers want to con consumers by using additives to provide consistent, bright yolk colour.

Many of those additives are synthetic - adding to the chemical cocktail mix in food. But even those which are claimed to be 'natural' are manufactured in factories – often in China. What the manufacturers mean by using the word 'natural' is that the additives may be derived from natural products but are processed and concentrated into a powder or liquid.
Three of the most widely used egg yolk pigmenters are:

Canthaxanin or Canthaxanthin which appears to be an unsafe additive. It can cause diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, dry and itchy skin, hives, orange or red body secretions, and other side effects.

Do not use canthaxanthin if you experience breathing problems; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat; a skin rash or hives; you are pregnant or breast-feeding or you are allergic to vitamin A or carotenoids.

Capsicum  Allergic reactions to capsicum may occur. Stop eating eggs with capsicum-based colouring and seek emergency medical attention if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives.

Other less serious side effects have also been reported. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider if you experience upset stomach; heartburn; diarrhoea; migraine attacks or burning sensation in the mouth or throat.

Use of Capsicum is not recommended if you are pregnant. If you are or will be breast-feeding while eating food containing Capsicum, check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to your baby.

Capsicum colourings can bring on anaphylactic shock. See details from the University of Maryland:

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/anaphylaxis-000008.htm

Marigold Some people experience breathing problems, tightness in the chest, swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat. A skin rash or hives may occur.

From the Auckland Allergy Clinic

Article written: September 2001

Salicylate sensitivity is the body’s inability to handle more than a certain amount of salicylates at any one time. A salicylate sensitive person may have difficulty tolerating certain fruits or vegetables.

What are salicylates?

Salicylate is a natural chemical made by many plants. It is chemically related to aspirin, which is a derivative of salicylic acid. It is believed the plant uses it as protection from insects, and they are everywhere around us.

Although natural salicylates are found in wholesome foods, some individuals have difficulty tolerating even small amounts of them. The reaction to a natural salicylate can be as severe as that to a synthetic additive if the person is highly sensitive. Some people are troubled by only a very few, but some are troubled by all of them.

What is salicylate sensitivity?

Some adults and children have a low level of tolerance to salicylates and may get symptoms that are dose-related. The tolerated amount varies from one person to another. This is an example of food intolerance.

What are some of the symptoms of Salicylate Intolerance?

• Chronic Urticaria & Angioedema

• Trigger for Eczema

• Asthma

• Nasal Polyps

• Sinusitis

• Rhino conjunctivitis

• Stomach aches and upsets

Foods containing Salicylates

Salicylates occur naturally in many fruits, and vegetables as a preservative, to prevent rotting and protect against harmful bacteria and fungi. They are stored in the bark, leaves, roots, and seeds of plants. Salicylates are found naturally in many foods and its compounds are used in many products.

All fresh meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, cereals, bread are naturally low in salicylates

Foods with very high Salicylate content include:

Vegetables: Capsicum    Hot Peppers

Capsaicin is the active component of Capsicum. Pure capsaicin is a volatile, hydrophobic, colourless, odourless, crystalline to waxy compound.

Capsaicin Factsheet

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/Capsaicintech.pdf

A UK report on The Adverse Effects of Food Additives on Health, published in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine described surveys on food intolerance which showed that as many as 2 in 10 people believe that they react badly to certain foods or to their constituents, whereas less than 2 in every 100 has been considered to be the official figure.

However, a recently published report indicates that small children are much more likely to react to certain foods. Although the exact numbers are not known, surveys suggest that one child in 10 may be affected in some way
Of the nearly 4000 different additives currently in use, over 3640 are used purely for cosmetic reasons and as colouring agents.

The continued reason for the use of additives is based on the argument that they are present in foods on such a minute scale that they must be harmless.

This argument may be almost acceptable regarding additives with a reversible toxicological action. However, with additives which have been found to be both mutagenic and carcinogenic, neither the human nor animal body is able to detoxify. Therefore even very minute doses of these additives, when consumed continuously, will eventually result in an irreversible toxic burden, resulting finally in cancer formation and/or in chromosomal and foetal damage. This is unacceptable, particularly as the majority of these dangerous agents belong to the food colouring group.

The full report is available here:

http://www.orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1994/articles/1994-v09n04-p225.shtml

An allergy is a hypersensitity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid. Allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is formally called type 1 hypersensitivity. Allergic reactions are distinctive because of excessive activation of certain white blood cells.

Mild allergies like hay fever are very common in humans but allergies can play a major role in conditions such as asthma. In some people, severe allergies to environmental or dietary allergens may result in life-threatening reactions called anaphylaxis.

Colouring additives in most of the eggs you buy

All major egg producers and most small ones - even those which claim to be free range - use colouring additives in the feed they give their hens.

It is completely unnecessary in a free range flock, as hens running on good pasture and at low stocking densities will obtain enough carotenoids from the green feed in the paddock to maintain good yolk colour. The colour will vary – depending on what each hen has been eating – but many egg producers want to use additives to provide consistent, bright yolk colour.

Many of those additives are synthetic - adding to the chemical cocktail mix in food. But even those which are claimed to be 'natural'  can present health problems. They may be derived from natural products but they are manufactured in factories – often in China.

Three of the most widely used egg yolk pigmenters are:

Canthaxanin or Canthaxanthin which appears to be an unsafe additive. It can cause violent diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, dry and itchy skin, hives, and other side effects such as breathing problems; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat; a skin rash or hives and is particularly dangerous for pregnant or breast-feeding women or people allergic to vitamin A or carotenoids.

Capsicum

Allergic reactions to capsicum may occur. People should stop eating eggs with capsicum-based colouring and seek emergency medical attention if they experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives.

Other less serious side effects have also been reported such as upset stomach; migraine; heartburn; diarrhea; or burning sensation in the mouth or throat.

Use of Capsicum is not recommended for pregnant women.

Marigold

Some people experience breathing problems, tightness in the chest, swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat. A skin rash or hives may occur.