7 Ways to Read an Egg Carton

Any carton of eggs you buy is likely to be plastered with descriptive terms. Some are meaningful, but some are misleading.

Certified Humane Raised and Handled

Meets the standards of the Humane Farm Animal Care program—an independent nonprofit. The standards include being cage-free and having sufficient space to engage in natural behaviors such as dust bathing and perching.

United Egg Producers Certified

The eggs were produced in compliance with industry-codified standard practices. (More than 80% of commercial eggs carry this seal.)

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All Natural

The hens eat vegetarian feed, with no animal slaughterhouse products.

Cage-Free

Hens must live in an open space, not a cage or a coop, but the "open space" can be inside a crowded henhouse. Both organic and conventional hens can be cage-free.

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Free-Range

Similar to cage-free, except that birds have some degree of outdoor access—though the amount, duration, or quality of that outdoor time is not specified.

Pasture-Raised

Hens are allowed to range on fresh pasture. Often they are housed in trailers that can be towed to different fields.

Organic

Hens must be given organic feed, which contains no toxic pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides and no GMOs or slaughterhouse by-products. They must never be caged, and they must have outdoor access. The USDA certifies this designation.

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