Buying Eggs at the Grocery Store
From regular white and brown eggs to free range and free run to organic, omega-3 or vitamin D enhanced, Canadian egg farmers provide you with choices and they all have one thing in common, they are all produced to the same high standards. No matter what type of egg you choose, they all make a nutritious and delicious choice.
What makes a Grade A egg?
There are three main things that determine Grade A quality of an egg: the condition of the shell, the position of the yolk, and the size of the air cell inside the shell. If the shell has no cracks, the yolk is centered and the air cell is very small – it meets Canada Grade A standards. These are the eggs you buy at the store.
What makes an EQA® egg?
The Egg Quality Assurance™ (EQA®) program is an industry-wide initiative that certifies Canadian eggs are produced according to strict food safety and animal welfare standards. While some egg cartons feature the EQA® mark, know that this quality standard applies to all eggs produced on Canadian farms!
Types of eggs at the store:
- Regular white or brown eggs – These eggs come from hens that are housed in small group settings. These are the most common eggs found in Canada.
- Enriched colony and furnished eggs – These eggs come from hens that are housed in small group settings with amenities such as perches and a curtained off area where hens lay their eggs.
- Free run eggs – These eggs come from hens that roam the entire barn floor. Some of these barns are equipped with vertical space too.
- Free range eggs – These eggs come from hens that roam the barn floor and access the outdoors when weather permits in Canada.
- Vitamin-enhanced eggs – These eggs have more of a certain nutrient, like vitamin D or Omega-3. Hens are fed a nutritionally enhanced diet containing higher levels of certain nutrients that make their way from the diet of the hen into the egg.
- Eggs from hens fed a vegetarian diet – These eggs are from hens fed a diet containing only ingredients of plant origin. This is a special case as hens are omnivores.
- Organic eggs – These eggs come from hens raised in a free-range system with access to the outdoors. These hens are fed certified organic feed, and farmers follow the Canadian Organic Standards regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
