This month, as well as focusing on the fruit and veg that’s in season, we wanted to get your input on eggs and what you prefer to buy.
It seems like buying free range was one of the first ethical supermarket choices available to us.
These days, however, there is a nagging sense that "free range" is not enough. As with so much of the debate around ethical spending, what the concerned consumer is really looking for is not always what they’re getting when select an item for their trolley.
Putting to one side the unfortunate possibility that an irresponsible supplier, like the notorious Heart of England Eggs Unlimited, will try to find ways of passing off battery farmed eggs as free range, there is still a question mark over whether you really get what you think you’re getting when you buy free range.
In our experience, "free range" brings with it connotations of space, air, grass and decent food. Isn’t this what consumers expect the chickens are getting when they buy free range?
Unfortunately, the truth is not quite so charming.
What does free range mean?
According to EU legislation, in order to be "free range", the following conditions must be met:
* Continuous daytime ACCESS to open air RUNS
* Runs MAINLY covered with vegetation
* Maximum "stocking density" of 2,500 chickens per hectare
* 9 hens per square metre of useable area
* Nest boxes provided
* Adequate perch space (15cm each)
* Litter to cover 1/3 of floor space for scratching and dust bathing.
Now at first glance this sounds admittedly less than beautifully pastoral, but perhaps acceptable.
Until you hear, as in the 2003 study in Animal Behaviour, that on average less than 15% of the flock are ever actually observed outside, even when access is provided for 8 hours a day.
The researchers claim that chickens are unlikely to range in areas where no shade is provide. Elsewhere, it is suggested that chickens are bred to be ‘trough focused’ and so if the feeding trough is indoors, that’s where the chickens will stay.
Is "organic" any better?
In addition to meeting EU standards for free range, organically certified conditions are better in the following ways:
* Only SIX hens per square metre
* At least FIFTEEN cm each of perch space
* Fed on organically produced feed only
* Ranged only on organic land
For our money, it seems like the most critical improvement, if you’re focused on the nutritional content of the eggs, is the insistence on organically produced chicken feed.
But none of the organic standards do anything to increase the likelihood of ranging behaviour, as far as we can tell.
Conclusion…
From what we’ve been able to glean, the most ethical consumer choice when egg shopping is to look for organic eggs making sure they also carry the British Lion Mark (a food standard mark which helps protect against salmonella).
This is because British Lion standards insist that, for organic chickens, flock size is kept to a maximum of 3,000, the chickens are provided with additional "pop holes" for acessing the outdoors, and the outdoor areas provided include shading.
It’s still a far cry from contentedly clucking chooks sand bathing under leafy trees on verdant hillsides, but unless you’ve got your own chickens, or are buying from a local small holding perhaps, it seems like this is the best bet.
Which brings us on to a request.
Do you keep chickens?
If you have recently started keeping your own egg laying chickens, we’d love to hear from you. We expect that a good number of the VegBox and Ooffoo communities (including us urban dwellers) would consider having our own chickens if we knew how to get started and what to be aware of.
So why not contribute to "Compost Queen’s" ongoing discussion with your own top chicken keeping tips. We’ll compile the best ones for the next VegBox newsletter.
Egg Recipes…
Here is a new selection of egg-y recipes for you to try. Let us know if there are any classics you think we’ve missed and would like us to publish.
Victoria Sandwich with Fresh Raspberry and Blueberry Filling
One last suggestion … If you’ve never had "eggy bread" (we find it hard to believe, but there may still be SOMEONE out there who hasn’t tried it) …
Eggy Bread
Lightly butter a slice of bread on both sides.
Use a tumbler or cookie cutter to cut out a hole from the middle, then lightly fry the bread (both bits, side by side) in a frying pan, and whilst you’re frying the first side, crack an egg into the hole.
Flip it over carefully to cook the second side
Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit salad.
Someone we know calls this "Howdy Doody Breakfast". Other names for it are "Egg in a Basket", "Campers Eggs" and "One Eyed Jack".
NOM!
Categories: food, seasonal eating, vegetarian
