To study the quality and evaluate the differences between commercial eggs, 47 fresh egg samples from the Belgian market were sampled. Sixteen samples concerned cage-eggs, 5 floor housing eggs, 12 free range eggs, 7 organic eggs, 5 samples from farm retail and 2 from private backyards. The labelling, weight category, freshness, bacteriological safety (Salmonella) and proportion of cracked and dirty eggs were studied. Presence of inhibitory substances and coccidiostats was controlled in 30 of the egg samples, while PCB analyses were performed on 10 samples of eggs from hens with outdoor access.

Eggs from different housing systems show different quality and safety characteristics, with cage-eggs being the most contaminated.

Paper

A market study on the quality of eggs from different housing systems.

References

Citations