EGGS are one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods on the planet.
When a carton of eggs says
“free range” we assume the eggs were laid by chickens who were allowed to wander freely outside on the dirt and in the sunshine, but that is not always the case. Most chickens whose eggs we eat are raised in barns and are rarely let outside.
There is a lot of questionable marketing about the quality of chicken eggs based on where they were laid.
We are told that free range means tastier, healthier and more nutritious than those from battery or barn-raised hens, but this might not be true.
There are stories about the terrible treatment suffered by hens forced to live in cages so small they can’t even move, but most chickens are barn-raised – even the so-called free range ones. Actually, chickens raised in barns suffer fewer injuries and illness than outdoor birds.
Barn chickens are fed nutritious food to develop fully and are kept healthy. A healthy hen lives longer, is less sick and thus lays more eggs. Starved hens don’t lay many eggs, die younger and aren’t good to eat.
Mzansi probably needs better regulation of its poultry industry but don’t be quick to believe everything you read – it could just be the packaging.
