Types of Eggs

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All eggs sold at retail in Canada are antibiotic and hormone free.  All eggs are produced to the same world-class Canadian standards for food safety and quality.  All Canadian eggs are fresh, nutritious and delicious!

Standard White Eggs

These eggs come from white hens that are typically raised in conventional housing systems.  Conventional housing has been the standard for decades, but the Alberta egg industry has begun to transition away from conventional housing systems to alternative housing systems.

Standard Brown Eggs

These eggs come from brown hens that are typically raised in conventional housing systems.  Conventional housing has been the standard for decades, but the Alberta egg industry has begun to transition away from conventional housing systems.

Furnished / Enriched / Nest-Laid Eggs

These eggs come from hens that are raised in furnished housing systems.  Furnished housing provides more space (both floor space and height) for the hens to move around, while also providing a variety of enrichments, which allow the hens to express more natural behaviours.  Enrichments include nesting boxes, perches, scratch pads and dust baths.

Free-Run Eggs

These eggs come from hens that are raised in free-run (barn or aviary) housing systems.  Free-run systems allow the hens to roam freely within an enclosed barn, while also providing a variety of enrichments such as nesting boxes and perches.

Free-Range Eggs

These eggs come from hens that are raised in free-run (barn or aviary) housing systems, which also provide access to outdoor runs (when weather permits).

Organic Eggs

These eggs come from hens that are raised in free-range housing systems.  The hens are only provided feed that has been certified organic, which means that it only contains ingredients that were grown without pesticides, herbicides or commercial fertilizer.  Look for a certified organic symbol on the egg carton.

Omega-3 Eggs

These eggs come from hens that were provided feed containing extra flax (up to 10-20%).  As a result, the eggs laid by these hens contain more Omega-3 fatty acids.

Vitamin-Enhanced Eggs

These eggs come from hens that were provided feed that was nutritionally enhanced to include higher levels of certain vitamins (ie: Vitamin D or Vitamin E).  As a result, the eggs laid by these hens contain corresponding higher amounts of the particular vitamin(s).

Vegetarian Eggs

These eggs come from hens that were provided feed containing only plant-based ingredients.

Processed Eggs

Liquid, frozen and dried egg products come from eggs that were broken by special egg breaking machines, and then pasteurized.  They often contain added ingredients (ie: preservatives, flavouring or colouring) and this process allows for special formulations (ie: egg whites only).

A Guide to Choosing Eggs

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A Guide to Choosing Eggs

This resource goes in more detail with the different types of eggs you can buy and shares some facts about Alberta and Canada’s egg industry.

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