Eggs are an essential part of people’s diets, and for many, they are a daily must-have treat. Eggs come in various colors – brown and white, they can be free-range or cage-raised, organic or non-organic, among other distinctions. But even within the egg yolk itself, there are different shades – from pale yellow to orange to almost red. What do these different yolk colors signify?
Not all egg yolks look the same, so what does this variation mean? Does a darker yolk indicate more nutrients, similar to the way darker greens represent more nutrition as with lettuce? Fox News Digital interviewed an expert on eggs to shed light on this intriguing question.
Lisa Steele, a recipe author and backyard chicken expert, shared her insights with Fox News. Residing in Maine, Steele is the founder of the chicken-raising website “Fresh Eggs Daily” and author of “Fresh Eggs Daily:Recipes and Home Raising Tips.” She explained that the color of the yolk “completely depends on the hen’s diet.”
While a darker yolk doesn’t necessarily mean that the hen’s diet is nutritious, organic, or fresh, Steele mentioned that there is likely a connection because foods rich in pigments are also packed with other nutrients.
Steele noted that feed companies and commercial chicken farms have found ways to produce eggs with deep-colored yolks without using nutrient-rich feed. “Feeds rich in lutein and carotenoids can produce beautiful deep orange yolks,” she explained.
Carrots, mangoes, cantaloupes, pumpkins, and other orange foods contain carotenoids, while lutein is found in leafy greens like spinach and kale.
Free-range chickens typically roam outdoors, eating a variety of pigmented vegetables, wild plants, insects, and supplemented feed like corn, which leads to a higher lutein content in their diet, resulting in darker yolk colors.
On the other hand, cage-raised egg-laying hens primarily consume feed, which may contain oxidized carotenoids from ingredients like corn and corn protein powder, leading to a decrease in lutein content over time due to storage.
To ensure buying the most nutritious eggs, Steele advises customers to check labels at the supermarket. She also mentioned that eggs from free-range or pastured chickens tend to have darker, more orange yolks because these hens primarily feed on grass, weeds, and other plants.
Steele further clarified that “cage-free” and “free-range” are not interchangeable terms. Eggs from pasture-raised chickens have lower cholesterol levels and higher nutritional content because these chickens have a healthier and more diverse diet.
In conclusion, the color of an egg yolk may not directly reflect the nutritional value of the egg, but it provides insight into the hen’s diet and lifestyle. By understanding the factors that influence yolk color, consumers can make more informed choices when selecting eggs for their nutritional needs.