"Free-range eggs" (white-shelled eggs) are not necessarily more nutritious than fresh eggs, and "free-range eggs" may even pose potential safety hazards. Experts advise the public to be cautious when purchasing loose white-shelled "free-range eggs."
A reporter interviewed poultry vendors at Dongchuan New Market yesterday and found that although free-range eggs are 1 yuan more expensive per pound than eggs from ordinary farm chickens at 5.5 yuan/jin, nearby residents specifically insisted on buying the more expensive "free-range eggs." "Free-range eggs are laid by free-range chickens and contain no hormones. Regular eggs are produced from chickens fed hormones to increase yields," Ms. Cui, who was selecting free-range eggs, told the reporter.
However, experts from the Provincial Food Safety Office stated that regular eggs are produced through standardized processes throughout, including breed purification, incubation, indoor brooding, feeding, disease prevention, site environment, water and raw material requirements, quality standards, product inspection, packaging, and storage. In contrast, "free-range eggs" mainly come from scattered small farms. Some unscrupulous farmers feed their chickens synthetic hormones to increase yields, leading to excessive hormone residues in the eggs.
Regarding nutritional value, experts noted that after analyzing the amino acid content of 17 types in both egg varieties, there was no significant difference. If "free-range eggs" are laid from "feed" containing leather meal, meat and bone meal, and medicinal dregs that have hormones and antibiotics, their nutritional value is greatly diminished, and even basic food safety cannot be guaranteed. Because antibiotics remain in the eggs, the number of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria significantly increases. After being infected by these mutated bacteria, it is very difficult to cure the illness, posing a potential danger to human health.
In view of this, the Provincial Food Safety Office reminds the public: Choose eggs with caution. It is best to choose egg products from major brands and not neglect food safety issues just for the sake of a lower price.