Introduction: Some people are very particular about the color of eggs when they buy them. The older generation prefers to buy brown eggs, believing they are more nutritious than white eggs. However, there is now a rumor online that "white eggs are more nutritious because white-shelled eggs are free-range eggs, while red-shelled eggs are commercial eggs. White eggs come from chickens fed corn and other grains, and eggs from chickens fed feed have red shells, so white eggs are more nutritious." So, is a darker or lighter eggshell color better?
Cherry and Purple Sweet Potato Egg
Regarding the view that "white-shelled eggs are free-range eggs," Fu Yangyu, a food R&D engineer, explains that the color of the eggshell comes from the final stage of egg formation in the hen's oviduct—pigments secreted by the uterine epithelium are evenly applied to the white base of the shell. The specific type of pigment secreted depends primarily on the hen's genotype. In commercial egg-laying chickens, white-shelled chickens are mainly bred from "White Leghorns," while brown-shelled chickens are primarily bred from "Rhode Island Reds." The pink-shelled chicken breed is a hybrid of white and brown-shelled chickens. Therefore, the color of the eggshell alone cannot determine whether it was laid by a free-range, pasture-raised chicken or a commercial chicken raised on a large-scale feed diet.
Egg Pudding
As for whether white or brown eggs are more nutritious, looking at the egg formation process, the shell is formed in the final step. The contents of the egg are formed before the shell color develops. Therefore, the color of the shell does not directly affect the nutritional content of the egg. So, in the future, you don't need to choose eggs based on shell color.
Potato Egg Pancake
Cherry purple potato egg
Potato omelet
Scrambled eggs with red cabbage