All About EB Eggs

• Where are Eggland's Best Eggs produced?

  Eggland's Best Eggs are produced by approved licensed producers on farms located throughout the United States and the eggs are distributed locally. Producers are selected for their ability to meet the stringent quality standards of Eggland's Best.

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• Are Eggland’s Best Eggs fertile?

  No. Hens lay eggs naturally and the eggs that go to market are not fertilized. Roosters would need to be in the hen houses in order to produce eggs that are fertilized. We do not have roosters at our farms, so our eggs are never fertilized. Eggs that are fertilized are marketed as such and are a specialty item found only in limited markets.

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• What is special about feed consumed by flocks producing Eggland’s Best Eggs?

  Eggland's Best hens are fed a strictly controlled, high-quality all-vegetarian diet that contains no animal fat, no animal by-products, and no recycled or processed food commonly found in livestock and poultry feeds. Our wholesome feed contains soybean meal, healthy grains, canola oil, and/or flax seed, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acid content, and our Biotene® supplement, a unique supplement that includes rice bran, alfalfa meal, sea kelp, and Vitamin E. Because the unique diet of our hens is nutritionally superior to what is fed to other hens, Eggland's Best hens lay nutritionally superior eggs.

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• How does Eggland’s Best make sure its Eggs consistently meet its standards?

  Eggland's Best Eggs are subjected to the most rigorous testing in the marketplace. Each year, Eggland's Best conducts nearly 75,000 laboratory tests to ensure that lower levels of cholesterol and saturated fat and higher levels of Vitamin E, Iodine, and Omega-3 are consistently met. Our scientists also check Eggland's Best yolks for their consistently rich, yellow color, and they check the overall quality of Eggland's Best shells to ensure that consumers are getting eggs with the finest, strongest shells possible. Three independent laboratories confirm nutritional results, which repeatedly show that Eggland's Best eggs exceed specifications. Licensed producers of Eggland's Best eggs have resident graders from the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspecting the quality of our eggs.

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• Why are Eggland’s Best Eggs imprinted with a logo and is the ink safe?

  The Eggland's Best logo identifies eggs that are produced according to the EB management program required for a wholesome and nutritious product. The program incorporates guidelines for feeding, animal welfare, housing, disease prevention, and quality control required to create an EB Egg. The logo is applied by stamping machines which use a FDA-compliant, USDA-approved, food safe ink that is acceptable as a food additive.

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• Are Eggland’s Best Eggs refrigerated before sale?

  Yes. All Eggland's Best Eggs must be collected from flocks within 24 hours of production. In most operations, eggs are mechanically conveyed to a processing plant within hours of lay to ensure optimal freshness. On remote farms, eggs are collected frequently during the day and are placed in refrigerated coolers and held at 45°F before transfer to a processing plant. After washing, grading, and packing, Eggland's Best Eggs are placed in a cooler under USDA supervision and held at a temperature between 40°F and 45°F before distribution in refrigerated vehicles. FDA regulations require eggs to be held under refrigeration from the time of shipping from the plant to the point of consumption.

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• How are Eggland’s Best Egg sizes determined?

  Size tells you the minimum required net weight per dozen eggs. It does not refer to the dimensions of an egg or how big it looks. While some eggs in the carton may look slightly larger or smaller than the rest, it is the total weight of the dozen eggs that matters. Eggland's Best strictly follows the USDA-specified minimum net weight per dozen eggs for the grades marketed under the Eggland's Best Brand. For example: A dozen Large eggs must have a total minimum weight of 24 ounces.

  USDA Chart

  Size or Weight Class	Minimum net weight per dozen
  Jumbo	30 ounces
  Extra Large	27 ounces
  Large	24 ounces
  Medium	21 ounces
  Small	18 ounces
  Peewee	15 ounces

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• How do I know that the Eggland’s Best Eggs I buy are fresh?

  Each Eggland's Best pack bears an imprint with a date. There is a difference, though between a SELL-BY date and a Best Before (USE-BY) date.

  If it is a SELL-BY date, we suggest that the eggs be used up to 30 days past that date providing they have been kept refrigerated and are not cracked. If it is a BEST BEFORE (or USE-BY date), the eggs should be used within 2 weeks of that date, providing they have been kept refrigerated and are not cracked.

  Click here for a video on how to tell if your EB Eggs are fresh!

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• What does “Organic Eggs” mean?

  Eggland's Best Organic Eggs are derived from hens reared, housed, and fed in compliance with the regulations of the National Organic Program administered by the USDA. This requires strict adherence to rules concerning the source and type of ingredients in diets, housing, freedom from exposure to pesticides, as well as chemicals or substances which are not approved. Hens producing eggs under the National Organic Program are allowed free access to the entire area of their houses and have access to the outside, as conditions permit.

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• How is Eggland’s Best protecting consumers?

  Eggland's Best Eggs come from healthy flocks that are continuously monitored for any type of disease. The processing of our eggs involves decontamination of the shell surface in a warm sanitizing solution, which effectively destroys any viral and bacterial contamination. All Eggland's Best production facilities exceed Federal standards of bio-security, which are designed to prevent introduction of infection into the flocks.

  Eggland's Best takes extra precaution to ensure the health of its flocks by vaccinating hens 3 times during the first 5 months of life to protect them against contracting salmonella and other diseases. Eggland's Best audits the farms and processing plants of its production facilities to ensure compliance with Best Management Practices, which significantly reduce the probability of infection and maintain the health and productivity of flocks. If, by some rare occurrence, eggs should become contaminated with any type of bacteria/virus, it would not survive the temperatures associated with food preparation, including boiling, baking, frying, and scrambling of eggs.

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• Is it safe to eat Eggland's Best Eggs raw?

  The risk of salmonella poisoning from eggs is small, but this does not take away the need for extra precautionary steps when preparing eggs for recipes calling for raw or lightly-cooked eggs. Many recipes that call for raw or undercooked eggs can be revised with a cooking step. Whole eggs, yolks, or whites can be combined with sugar, water or another liquid from the recipe and can be cooked over low heat until the mixture coats a metal spoon with a thin film or reaches 160° F.

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• Are Eggland’s Best Eggs kosher?

  Yes. The Orthodox Union, the largest kosher certification organization in the world, certifies Eggland's Best Eggs as kosher. Each Eggland's Best carton carries the OU symbol to clearly identify it as kosher.

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• What do I do if I’m not satisfied with my Eggland’s Best product?

  Any complaints regarding appearance, quality, taste, or any other abnormality should be reported to Eggland's Best using our toll free number (800) 922-EGGS (3447) or by e-mail here.

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• Are Eggland’s Best Eggs natural eggs?

  Yes. Eggland's Best Eggs are real whole-shell eggs produced by hens that are fed an unique, all-vegetarian diet. All of the nutritional differences in an EB Egg are done naturally through the EB feed program that contains no antibiotics, animal by-products or added hormones

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• I noticed your package says CA SEFS on it. What does CA SEFS mean?

  As of January 1, 2015 all eggs sold in the State of California must be CA SEFS compliant. So, if you live in California you may have noticed that Eggland's Best packages now have the statement CA SEFS on them. This statement means that Eggland's Best Eggs meet the California Shell Egg Food Safety Compliant regulations to reduce the risk of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) contamination. In fact, Eggland's Best have been practicing similar food safety program requirements for over 10 years, plus other important practices to help ensure the safety of our eggs.

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• Are EB Eggs Gluten Free?

  EB Eggs are always Gluten Free. When following a Gluten Free diet you can safely consume EB Eggs. Gluten is a grain protein. Regardless of how much grain a chicken is fed as part of her diet, the protein in our eggs is always 100% egg protein, as the hen diet does not translate into gluten protein in eggs.

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• Why do we have Tri-Fold Packaging?

  The tri-fold plastic egg carton is made from recycled materials and is accepted by most recycling programs as a PETE #1 plastic. Although it may at first appear that the inner lid is excessive, it performs many functions. It works to keep the label from getting damaged from moisture condensation on the eggs (the cardboard or pulp cartons tend to retain moisture and promote the growth of bacteria) or in the event of any breakage/leakage. By keeping each egg well enclosed, it reduces the rate of drying and product deterioration. It also adds a layer of stabilization to the carton.

  Our carton manufacturers were chosen in part because of their recycling and sustainability efforts. One of these manufacturers, Highland Packaging Solutions (https://highcor.com/sustainability/), provides the following information regarding the plastic recyclability.

  Our newly developed extrusion technology uses 25% less energy per pound of output compared to “traditional” extrusion technology.

  We currently run a minimum of 70% recycled content on our extruded products. For every pound of recycled PET flake used, energy use is reduced by 84% and greenhouse gas emissions by 71% as compared to virgin material.

  We recycle 90% of our plastic manufacturing process scrap directly into our products and recycle aluminum, corrugated, scrap metals and remaining plastic scrap through suppliers and recycling services.”
  

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