How organic is that “organic” egg?

Does organic feed alone count?

By Culinate staff

October 6, 2010

The Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting sustainable and organic farming, recently issued a report on the state of organic-egg production in the U.S. At issue: whether the “organic” eggs produced by large-scale chicken farms should continue to bear the USDA certified-organic label. The report indicates that most certified-organic laying hens are given organic feed but not generally allowed access to the outdoors.

Want to know which organic-egg brands the institute approves of — or shuns? Check out its online report and brand scorecard. Predictably, the winners are generally small-scale farmers who sell only to local buyers; the losers are the anonymous producers behind large-scale national store brands, such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.