Food

Why Do Brown Eggs Cost More Than White Eggs? Blame The Bird

Published

5 months ago

2024-05-04

Kiara Grace

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Many buyers wonder why a carton of brown eggs is more expensive than a carton of white eggs.

It’s not as you might assume. It’s not about one type being healthier, more natural, or finer than the other, but about the nuts and bolts of agricultural economics. Maintaining a brown egg-laying hen that is happy and properly nourished costs more.

“In terms of nutrition, a brown egg and a white egg are identical. It’s all about the breed of the chicken,” explained Daniel Brey, proprietor of Brey’s Egg Farm, a fourth-generation family egg farm in Jeffersonville, New York. The farm produces around 200,000 white eggs every day.

Some varieties, such as White Leghorn chickens, produce eggs with white shells, while others, such as Rhode Island Reds, lay brown shells. According to Brey, the price and flavor of the egg you buy—white or brown—are affected by what and how much the hen is given.

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Why Do Brown Eggs Cost More Than White Eggs? Blame The Bird

“It has a lot to do with the chicken feed,” Brey told me. “It costs more to make a dozen brown eggs because the chickens that produce them tend to eat more.”

Edmund McNamara and his wife, Rose, own Sova Farms near Norwich, New York, approximately 200 miles north of New York City’s Central Park. Sova Farms, he added, is USDA-certified organic for brown eggs, chicken, pig, and lamb.

The farm now produces about 350 brown eggs daily but aims to increase that to over 1,000 after supplying over 700 pullets (or young hens) this month.

“All of our eggs are brown, but once in a while a chicken will lay a very light brown,” he added, adding that the eggs are sold directly to consumers in Westchester County, New York.

Brown eggs command a higher price in retailers, even only because of their unusual color.

“Eggs occur in a variety of colors, including white and brown. Some are even blue and green, depending on the breed,” said Joan Frank, assistant program director for dietetics at the University of California, Davis Department of Nutrition. Still, the nutritional content of eggs does not alter depending on the color of the shell, she noted.

“I think consumers for some reason have come to believe that brown eggs are healthier, which they are not,” he stated.

Sova Farms is presently offering a dozen big brown eggs for $8. Organic pastured brown eggs can cost up to $10 per dozen, but ordinary brown eggs cost between $4.50 and $6 in most supermarkets.

According to the most recent weekly government data, a dozen white eggs cost around $2.50 in supermarkets, up from $1.50 a year ago.

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Why Do Brown Eggs Cost More Than White Eggs? Blame The Bird

However, McNamara agreed that “there is really no nutritional difference between white and brown eggs.”

Phil Lempert, a supermarket business researcher and editor of SuperMarketGuru.com, assessed how much extra customers normally spend on brown eggs than white eggs. “If there’s brown eggs next to white eggs, typically you’re going to pay anywhere between 10% to 20% more for brown eggs, regardless of free range or organic,” he said.

David Anderson, a professor of agricultural economics (with a focus on livestock economics) at Texas A&M University, has researched egg prices and the factors that influence them on farms and in supermarkets.

Egg prices, regardless of shell color, typically respond to fluctuations in demand, he added. “You have short-term seasonal events, like Easter. We always have a high demand for eggs around the holidays. “In the fall, we see an increase in demand for eggs for holiday-related activities such as baking,” Anderson explained.

Other factors influencing egg costs include the cost of poultry feed. “Feed costs have been falling,” he said, which helps egg producers. We had a record crop in the United States last year, and maize and soybean meal prices are significantly lower right now.

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Why Do Brown Eggs Cost More Than White Eggs? Blame The Bird

On the other hand, the recent epidemic of Bird Flu could keep egg prices higher than last year. Prices will rise if egg farmers cannot meet demand because they have had to slaughter their chicken populations due to bird flu.

Anderson confirmed that producing brown eggs cost more than typical white eggs. “If it costs more to produce they’ll probably be priced higher to the consumer.”

But what about the “perception” that brown eggs are healthier than white?

“It’s almost like, what comes first, the chicken or the egg?” Anderson stated. “Did the companies advertise that first or did it come from consumers who think that brown eggs just must be healthier?”

SOURCE – (CNN)

Food

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

Published

1 day ago

2024-10-03

Kiara Grace

YouTube’s top stars have launched their competitor to Lunchables.

MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI are collaborating on a “groundbreaking new better-for-you lunch option” called Lunchly, combining all their goods into a single meal geared at their younger fans.

The all-in-one meal includes a bottle of Prime Hydration, a sports drink alternative founded by Paul and KSI that has grown in popularity; a Feastables milk chocolate bar created by MrBeast, a popular YouTube star with over 300 million subscribers; and one of three processed food options, including pizza, nachos, or turkey aand cheese with crackers.

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

“Our ultimate goal has always been to offer not only high-quality products, but also healthier alternatives,” Lunchly cofounder Logan Paul stated in a press release. He also stated that the school lunch industry has been “dominated by Lunchables” since he was a child, and that it is “time to provide a better option for those looking for a convenient, healthier choice.”

Lunchly promises to be “healthier” since Prime contains more electrolytes than a Capri Sun in Lunchables, and Mr. Beast’s chocolate bar contains less sugar than a Kit Kat or Crunch bar.

Lunchly’s launch comes after Lunchable, owned by Kraft Heinz, announced a huge initiative last year to participate in school lunch programs. However, the company had to reformulate the components first to guarantee that the items met regulatory rules, which included incorporating fresh fruit into their meals.

Consumer Reports reported in 2024 that it recently studied the nutritional profiles of two Lunchables kits supplied in schools and discovered that they contain significantly more sodium than the Lunchables kits available in stores.

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

Of course, KSI, Paul, and MrBeast know how to create brands, thanks partly to their devoted following. Despite government worries about the caffeine content of some of its drinks, Prime sales have risen, threatening industry leaders such as Gatorade and BodyArmor.

“Prime brings a youthful buying cohort that hasn’t had a lot pitched their way beyond traditional kids’ drinks,” Jeffrey Klineman, editor-in-chief of BevNet, previously told CNN. “Paul is significantly more intriguing to a 13-year-old than a juice box.”

SOURCE | CNN

Food

Wendy’s Takes Aim At McDonald’s Broken McFlurry Machines With A $1 Frosty

Published

1 week ago

2024-09-26

Kiara Grace

McDonald’s has become known for its broken ice cream machines; there is even an independent website that tracks broken McFlurry machines. So Wendy’s is taking advantage.

Wendy’s is offering small-sized, $1 Frosty frozen dairy treats until September 30 — and it’s cooperating with McBroken, which tracks which McDonald’s stores have broken ice cream equipment.

The temporary price decrease may also draw value-seeking customers who are eating out less frequently and spending less when they do, slowing fast food sales and reducing restaurant visitation.

Wendy’s Takes Aim At McDonald’s Broken McFlurry Machines With A $1 Frosty

Wendy’s Frosty “has been the go-to sweet treat fix when fans’ cravings strike, while the ice cream machines at the other guys are offline — often for two to three hours at a time,” the chain claimed in a release, without mentioning McDonald’s directly.

McBroken’s data shows that about 15% of McDonald’s ice cream machines are broken as of Thursday. The most common time they are inaccessible is between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles among the most affected cities.

Wendy’s put the locations of its restaurants, as represented by its logo, to the McBroken map to show fans where to get a “reliable and delicious option.” There is also an ad at the top of the website promoting the $1 Frosty Special.

Rashiq Zahid founded McBroken a few years ago, after becoming dissatisfied with McDonald’s lack of operating ice cream machines. He previously told CNN that it works by combining data from the McDonald’s iOS and Android apps.

If the ice cream machine is not operational, the McDonald’s app will remove the ice cream order from the cart, he explained. When this occurs, a red dot shows on the mcbroken.com map, signifying unavailability in that area.

Wendy’s Takes Aim At McDonald’s Broken McFlurry Machines With A $1 Frosty

In response, McDonald’s previously told CNN, “it is exciting to see customer passion translate into customer-innovated solutions to further make that experience a reality.”

The cold dessert rivalry between Wendy’s and McDonald’s has heated up in recent years. Wendy’s has started adding limited-time flavors, like as pumpkin spice and peppermint, to increase the appeal of the Frosty. McDonald’s frequently pushes new flavours for its McFlurry, but recently added a smaller variant as customers continue to look for bargain.

SOURCE | AP

Food

General Mills Canada Recalls Kirkland Signature Yogurt Sold in Costco Stores

Published

1 week ago

2024-09-25

Geoff Thomas

Yogurt from Costco Canada recalled for the 2nd time in a month - File Image

General Mills Canada Co. has recalled Kirkland Signature brand Greek yogurt that was sold in Costco stores across Canada, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), because of possible mould contamination.

A form of yeast that may cause disease in individuals with weakened immune systems has caused the producer, Danone Canada, to announce the second recall of yogurt from the retailer Costco in as many months.

The recall concerns Costco’s Kirkland Signature Probiotic Yogurt, which is sold in 24-packs of 100-gram portions and was purchased at its Canadian warehouses between September 3 and September 19, according to a warning published on the retailer’s website on September 23 by Danone Canada.

According to the CBC. the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, Costco retail shops carried the recalled Greek yogurts.

Danone stated that since yeast is not known to flourish in cold temperatures, there was no risk to food safety. The maker of the yogurt advised consumers to return it to a Costco warehouse for a complete refund and to refrain from eating the product.