American eggs are often said to be inferior to those sold in the rest of the world ― their yolks are often paler and they require refrigeration because of the way they’re processed.
But how does the nutritional value of U.S. eggs compare with eggs in other countries?
The answer to that question is a convoluted one, dependent on a variety of factors that involve each country’s overall food production system and the number of people being fed by it.
That being said, a general answer is that mass-produced eggs in America are just as nutritious as mass-produced eggs in other countries. However, the scale of mass production in the United States is larger than elsewhere in the world. Here’s how it works and how it affects eggs.
Size and distance matter
The American food system is designed to feed a massive population of over 300 million people. Egg production is intricately related to the overall food system.
“The goal of egg production in large scale facilities is to get as many eggs produced in as short of a period of time as possible, get them onto refrigerated trucks and into warehouses where they’re redistributed to grocery stores,” explained Drake Patten, the owner of Hurricane Hill, a 48-acre conservation farm in Western Cranston, Rhode Island, that also produces eggs.
Not only is the U.S. home to a large number of people, but folks are spread across vast geographical areas. Food, therefore, needs to travel long distances.
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