Why Yolk Color Is No Longer a Trademark of Healthy Eggs

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January 23, 2024

Photo by Raquel Tinoco: https://www.pexels.com/photo/e...

"You can tell the difference between eggs from pasture-raised and confined hens by the yolk color." You've probably had someone tell you that before. And years ago, you could. But with a new understanding of pigments and corporations trying to keep up with the demand for better eggs, that is no longer the case.

What Gives Egg Yolks Their Color?

Egg yolks can range from white to red, and even green. The color of an egg yolk is largely determined by the pigments a hen consumes in her diet, the most common being carotenoids. Carotenoids give an egg yolk its white, yellow, gold, or red coloring. Most hens get these through corn, soy, alfalfa, or natural forage in their diet. Other foods high in carotenoids include carrots, kale, and bell peppers.

Can You Tell What a Hen Ate by the Yolk Color?

A hen whose diet consists of mainly wheat will typically lay more pale-yellow yolks since wheat contains fewer carotenoids, while a diet high in corn and soy results in yolks with a brighter yellow. A diet high in natural forage will produce the rich orange-to-red yolk that most people have learned to associate with pasture-raised or free-range hens.

Can Dark Yolks Only Come From Pasture-Raised Hens?

Because of the common understanding that eggs from hens raised outdoors on a high-forage diet are healthier, many of us now search for those dark-colored yolks. However, conventional farmers know this and have figured out ways to make their egg yolks darker, making them more appealing and fooling consumers.

Can Brown Eggs only come from Pasture-Raised Hens?

Side note: This is yet another misconception about eggs that the industry has taken advantage of. The color of an eggshell - whether it's white, brown, or colored - is genetic and not representative whatsoever of the source or nutrient value of the egg. The shade of a brown or green eggshell can vary from hen to hen based on genetics or diet, but both white and brown egg layers can be raised in confinement, and likewise, either can be raised on pasture.

How Do Poultry Producers Control the Color of Their Egg Yolks?

Ingredients like marigold, capsicum, paprika, and synthetic additives can be added to a hen's diet to influence the resulting color of the egg yolk. Today, even a chicken raised its entire life indoors can produce a deep orange yolk thanks to these practices. These additives are also given to commercial shrimp, fish, and meat chickens to make the color of their skin more appealing in some regions.

How Can I Know if My Eggs Came From Pasture-Raised Hens?

One of the ways you can determine whether or not a hen is being raised on pasture is by the consistency of the egg yolk color. Hens raised indoors and fed a strict diet will have little to no variation in the color of their yolks, while hens raised on pasture will have more color variation since their diet varies from hen to hen, paddock to paddock, and season to season.

The only way to know for certain what a hen ate is to get an honest answer from the farmer. This is just another example of why we encourage buying your meat and eggs directly from the person who produced them, or at least from someone who knows the producer.

Does David's Pasture Use Coloring Agents in Their Hens' Feed?

We do not use any coloring agents in our hens' feed, and because of this, the color of our egg yolks changes seasonally. Here in the Midwest, we do not have green pastures year-round, so in the winter, our hens rely more heavily on a diet of non-GMO grains and their yolks turn a shade of yellow. But once spring comes and the green forage is back, our yolks are a beautiful golden-orange again.

If you live in the Kansas City area or are within driving distance of our farm, you can order our pasture-raised eggs here. If they do not show on our website, feel free to contact me through our contact page.

Thank you for reading! I hope this article has made you a more informed eater and equipped you with the tools needed to find the best eggs for your family. If you have any more egg questions feel free to leave a comment below!

If you are looking for some egg-cellent recipe inspo, check out Kim's Favorite Breakfast Quiche and my personal favorite, this Egg Yolk Latte.

In good eating,

Remi Kesten

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Remi

Why I Choose Grass-Fed & Finished Beef (by Tracey Long, MPH, RDN)

Hey guys, Remi here! This is a post from Tracey Long's blog that she gave me permission to share here. She works in integrative and functional nutrition at Big Picture Health. Tracey has seen many people's lives changed through their bettered understanding of food, including her own. Enjoy this article, and feel free to reach out to her if you are looking for guidance in your healing journey. Pictured on left: Cows raised on pasture by the Bauman Family near Garnett, KS.Pictured on right: Cows started on grass, but finished on grain/soy at a feedlot. 1. I believe in supporting local food, small family farmers and the economy. The average miles our food travels to reach our dinner plates is about 1,500 miles1. When we eat local we conserve fuel, keep our food dollars local and can have a personal connection to the farmer and how our food is raised. I subscribe to the mantra, know your farmer, know your food. Know your farmer, know your food 2. Cows are biologically meant to eat grass and pasture, not grains like corn or legumes like soy. When you feed an animal the food that it is biologically set up for it will be healthier. Cows are four-legged ungulates best adapted to graze on forage. The digestive system of cows, the four stomachs they have that we learned about in basic biology, are meant to ferment forage. Grains like corn and legumes like soy are used as high energy-dense food alternative for cows to put weight on them quickly for faster processing. This diet that is not congruent with the cow’s biology does work to speed up the process from start to finish, but can actually compromise the animal’s health. A review article by Calloway et al2 found that cows fed a diet high in grain had higher levels of the food-borne pathogen E. coli. When the diet was changed back to forage the E. coli levels were lowered within five days. A research study by Khafipour et al3 found that cows fed a diet based on grain became acidotic, and had high levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that triggered inflammation and health problems in the cattle such as liver disease. These are two scientific examples of how grain can be unhealthy for cows. 3. Grazing cattle from start to finish is better for the environment and planet. You may be interested in reading the book by Judith Schwartz, “Cows Save the Planet.”4 Judith discusses how raising cows on pasture returns moisture and nutrients to the soil and, therefore; our food. Cattle feedlots are also a significant source of environmental pollutants such as antibiotics that affect downstream aquatic life and hormones that end up in the drinking water supply as additional examples.5,6 Feedlots use antibiotics and hormones to encourage rapid and increased growth and require antibiotics to suppress illness due to the confined living space and large buildup of fecal matter. Pastured cows arguably have less negative impact and even reported positive impacts on the environment. 4. I believe in respecting and honoring the animals I eat. As humans we have the capacity to treat animals poorly for our benefit (food) or treat them in a thankful manner for the nourishment they provide us. Joel Salatin, a well-known sustainable farmer in Swope, Virginia, said in a magazine interview, “Our first responsibility is to try to figure out what kind of a habitat allows them (cows) to fully express their physiological distinctiveness. The cow doesn’t eat corn; she doesn’t eat dead cows; she doesn’t eat cow manure, which is what is currently being fed to cows in the industrial food system. We feed cows grass, and that honors and respects the cow-ness of the cow.7” Joel Salatin 5. Pasture raised and finished beef has a healthier fatty acid profile than conventional beef. The standard American diet is high in omega 6 fatty acids relative to omega 3 fatty acids. The problem is that omega 6 fatty acids, when out of balance with omega 3’s are highly inflammatory to the human body. Inflammation is now known to be the root of many chronic diseases. The good news is that the fatty acid composition of grass fed and finished beef is higher in the beneficial and anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef. A study by MacAfee et al found that people who ate grass-fed meat had higher levels of the anti-inflammatory omega 3’s when their blood was tested for this healthy fat.8 David (founder) and Reeves Kesten at the Brookside Farmers Market, 2017 Meet David and his [second] son Reeves, of David’s Pasture, from Concordia, MO. I am grateful for the opportunity to purchase quality meat, pork, poultry and eggs from a farming family like Dave’s. Dave’s cattle are raised on pasture and get to express their, “cow-ness,” as Joel Salatin would say. Dave shared with me that he even feeds his cattle organic apple cider vinegar to improve their gut health and does not use hormones or antibiotics. His cattle fertilize the land they forage on and he rotates their grazing to promote healthy soil. Yes, I pay more for the products I buy from Dave than I would pay at the local grocery store, but for the reasons I listed above I know the price is worth it!Original post by Tracey Long, MPH, RDN at Big Picture Health. Specializing in integrative and functional nutrition. Re-posted here by Remington Kesten, David's Pasture. Grass-fed & finished Beef delivered to your door.

Why Yolk Color Is No Longer a Trademark of Healthy Eggs

What Gives Egg Yolks Their Color?

Can You Tell What a Hen Ate by the Yolk Color?

Can Dark Yolks Only Come From Pasture-Raised Hens?

Can Brown Eggs only come from Pasture-Raised Hens?

How Do Poultry Producers Control the Color of Their Egg Yolks?

How Can I Know if My Eggs Came From Pasture-Raised Hens?

Does David's Pasture Use Coloring Agents in Their Hens' Feed?

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