Free range eggs ‘not any healthier’
Their richly coloured yolks certainly make them more appealing to the eye and have led some to believe they are more nutritious.
But free-range eggs are no better for us than the battery farmed alternative, scientists have found.
It means that while many reasons may remain for buying free-range - such as the welfare of the hens - health benefits are not among them.
Researchers discovered that the two types of eggs contained almost identical levels of vitamins and cholesterol.
Free-range hens are allowed to roam freely, while battery hens are confined to cramped cages in large warehouses.
Poultry expert Dr Kenneth Anderson compared the nutritional content of 500 eggs produced by the different methods over two years.
The samples were collected on three occasions and sent to laboratories which analysed the levels of certain vitamins and fats.
The US team found that although the yolks of free-range eggs were darker, they were not actually healthier. Levels of vitamin A, needed for healthy skin and bones, and vitamin E, which is essential for protecting the body’s cells, were the same…