It's time to crack open the enigma of the egg, from allergies and nutrient values to colorization and caloric density. It's time to make smart decisions in the grocery aisle. Unless you want to raise your own brood, it's time to learn the rules of the henhouse! Before you hit the store and start cracking, it's important to learn a number of important and egg-cellent terms. First, egg-laying hens can be classified as cage-free (free-range and free-run) or caged (battery). These terms do not refer to the nutritional content of the eggs, but rather to the conditions in which the chickens are raised. Unfortunately, the vast majority of eggs in the United States are laid by battery hens in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Only a small percentage of chickens are raised on the range.
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