FAQs

ABOUT EGGS:

What’s the difference between white eggs and brown eggs? The color of the eggshell is determined by the breed of the hen. A hen with brown ears will produce a brown eggshell and a hen with white ears will produce a white eggshell. From a nutritional standpoint, there is no difference between a white egg and a brown egg.

What is the difference between egg sizes? Eggs can come in many different sizes. Egg sizes include (from smallest to largest) Pee Wee, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, Jumbo, and Super Jumbo. The size of the egg is determined by the weight of the egg. Typically, smaller hens lay smaller eggs. As the hen grows older and larger in size, so do the eggs she produces.

What is the difference between egg grades? Egg grades are based on the quality of the egg. The components of the egg that are analyzed are the shell, white and yolk portions. The size of the air cell inside of the egg is also looked at. Eggs are graded by using a candling process that looks at the inside of the egg without breaking into the shell. Egg grades include Grade AA, Grade A, and Grade B. Grade AA eggs are the highest.

What is candling?Candling is the method used to study the growth and development of the inside of an egg. This method uses a bright light source behind an egg to show details through the shell. It was originally called “candling” because the original source of light used were candles. Although lights are used on a regular basis today, the method is still referred to as candling.

What causes blood spots in eggs? Are they ok to eat? Blood spots are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel during the formation of the egg. A blood spot does not indicate a fertilized egg and they are completely safe for consumption. If desired, the spot can be removed with the tip of a clean knife prior to cooking.

What is the white stringy part inside of an egg? Is this ok to eat? This portion of the egg is called the chalazae. The chalazae serve as an anchor to attach the yolk in the center of the white portion of the egg. Chalazae are not a sign of a bad or imperfect egg and they will not interfere with the cooking of eggs or egg whites. In fact, the more prominent the chalazae, the fresher the egg. Chalazae do not need be removed prior to cooking or eating eggs. They are perfectly safe for consumption.

Is it possible to find a developing chick inside of my egg? No, it is nearly impossible to find a developing chick or embryo inside of a store bought egg for consumption. Typically, egg-laying hens are not exposed to roosters at anytime. This means that the eggs they lay are not fertilized and therefore, would never develop into a chicken.

What causes a double-yolked egg? Double-yolked eggs are not extremely common although they can happen from time to time. Sometimes, a young hen whose egg production cycle is not completely synchronized may produce a double-yolked egg. In addition, hens old enough to produce Extra Large eggs may also produce a double-yolked egg. Genetics can also play a factor in the laying of double-yolked eggs.

For more frequently asked questions and other egg related information please use the links below:
www.aeb.org
www.enc-online.org
www.EggSafety.org
www.incredibleegg.org