You have probably noticed that the color of the yolks from organic eggs and eggs that come from conventionally caged chickens on massive farms differ.
The yolks from organic eggs are with a thicker consistency and darker color while the conventional yolks are lighter and thinner.
According to nutritionists, this difference between egg yolks speaks about the different nutritional value that these yolks have.
The chickens’ diet
The darker color of the organic yolk comes from an ingredient known as xanthophylls. These carotenoids are also found in spinach, kale, broccoli and collards.
Chickens raised on small farms as well as pastured chicken are not fed with a vegetarian diet. For instance, pastured chickens eat worms, grubs, bugs and even small rodents.
Caged chickens are fed only with grains. Therefore, the yolk has pale yellow color. According to this information, it is evident that the natural pastured food cannot be replaced with a simple vegetarian diet.
The nutritional value
The chickens that are raised in an organic way, consume a diet rich in both grains and proteins. All of these nutrients are found in the egg yolk, so the darker color comes from these nutrients. This means that this yolk has greater nutritional value.
According to one study, pastured eggs contain more beta-carotene, vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E and vitamin A, which makes these eggs superior to eggs from caged chickens.
The pastured based farm operations are also better for the earth than the mass farming operations. The natural farm operations let the chickens to feed themselves, fertilize the soil, use less fossil fuels in the transportation of animal waste and feed and reduce the production of grains used as feed.
