Question about eggs: white or brown? Is an orange yolk more useful than a pale yellow one?

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Brown or white? Cholesterol bomb or nutrient supplier? Almost everyone has an opinion about eggs. It is generally accepted that brown chickens lay brown eggs. But what is really true?

Why do chickens lay white or brown eggs?

It's genetics. Eggs can be white, brown, green or red, depending on the color pigments stored in the shell. They come from special glands of the chicken, which are responsible for the formation of the shell. Red pigments come from blood, yellow – from bile. If they mix, the result will be brown.

Do brown chickens lay brown eggs?

No, there is no connection between plumage and egg color. To determine the color of the shell by the appearance of chickens, you need to look closely. On the skin flaps under the ear, on the ear plates. If they are white in purebred chickens, then usually these are also their eggs. If they have red ear disks, the shell is usually brown.

Are brown eggs healthier – or more organic than white?

The options do not differ in terms of nutrients. The fact that mostly brown organic eggs are used is primarily due to consumer habits: they still usually associate white shells with cage farming. Poultry serves this assumption, as mostly brown eggs enter the market, while white eggs are more common in bakeries, large kitchens, and food processing plants. In many Scandinavian countries, for example, buyers prefer white eggs.

Are dark yellow yolks particularly nutritious?

The color of the yolk varies from light yellow to dark orange, depending on how the chicken is fed. However, this does not change anything in terms of taste, freshness, nutritional value or quality. To obtain a dark egg yolk, which is especially appreciated by consumers, manufacturers sometimes add natural dyes – so-called carotenoids – to green fodder.