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Free-Range Hens May Be Happier, But Their Eggs Aren't Healthier

Time, Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:43 AM

If you live in the Northeast and are tempted to fry an egg on the sidewalk on this sweltering morning, you might as well make it the plain ol' white variety mom used to scramble in the electric frying pan. According to a new study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, just about the only thing that differentiates organic and cage-free eggs from the factory variety is the price tag.

The study was not designed to explore the question of which egg-laying conditions are best for the hens themselves. That's obvious. What food technologist Deana Jones wanted to know is whether a happy hen produces a better product, Jeffrey Kluger reports.

"We found no meaningful differences at all," Jones says. "We sampled eggs from a number of stores and kept getting the same results over and over. For shoppers, the decision comes down to your ethical and moral choices."

Read the whole story at Time »

food, health

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