Frequently Asked Questions

Each Eggland’s Best pack bears an imprint with a date. There is a difference, though between a SELL-BY date and a Best Before (USE-BY) date.

If it is a SELL-BY date, we suggest that the eggs be used up to 30 days past that date providing they have been kept refrigerated and are not cracked. If it is a BEST BEFORE (or USE-BY date), the eggs should be used within 2 weeks of that date, providing they have been kept refrigerated and are not cracked.

Click here for a video on how to tell if your EB eggs are fresh!

Eggland’s Best eggs come from healthy flocks that are continuously monitored for any type of disease. The processing of our eggs involves decontamination of the shell surface in a warm sanitizing solution, which effectively destroys any viral and bacterial contamination. All Eggland’s Best production facilities exceed Federal standards of bio-security, which are designed to prevent introduction of infection into the flocks.

Eggland’s Best takes extra precaution to ensure the health of its flocks by vaccinating hens 3 times during the first 5 months of life to protect them against contracting salmonella and other diseases. Eggland’s Best audits the farms and processing plants of its production facilities to ensure compliance with Best Management Practices, which significantly reduce the probability of infection and maintain the health and productivity of flocks. If, by some rare occurrence, eggs should become contaminated with any type of bacteria/virus, it would not survive the temperatures associated with food preparation, including boiling, baking, frying, and scrambling of eggs.

Eggland’s Best organic eggs are derived from hens reared, housed, and fed in compliance with the regulations of the National Organic Program administered by the USDA. This requires strict adherence to rules concerning the source and type of ingredients in diets, housing, freedom from exposure to pesticides, as well as chemicals or substances which are not approved. Hens producing eggs under the National Organic Program are allowed free access to the entire area of their houses and have access to the outside, as conditions permit.

Size tells you the minimum required net weight per dozen eggs. It does not refer to the dimensions of an egg or how big it looks. While some eggs in the carton may look slightly larger or smaller than the rest, it is the total weight of the dozen eggs that matters. Eggland’s Best strictly follows the USDA-specified minimum net weight per dozen eggs for the grades marketed under the Eggland’s Best Brand. For example: A dozen Large eggs must have a total minimum weight of 24 ounces.

USDA Chart

EB eggs are always Gluten Free. When following a Gluten Free diet you can safely consume EB eggs. Gluten is a grain protein. Regardless of how much grain a chicken is fed as part of her diet, the protein in our eggs is always 100% egg protein, as the hen diet does not translate into gluten protein in eggs.

As of January 1, 2015 all eggs sold in the State of California must be CA SEFS compliant. So, if you live in California you may have noticed that Eggland’s Best packages now have the statement CA SEFS on them. This statement means that Eggland’s Best eggs meet the California Shell Egg Food Safety Compliant regulations to reduce the risk of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) contamination. In fact, Eggland’s Best have been practicing similar food safety program requirements for over 10 years, plus other important practices to help ensure the safety of our eggs.

Any complaints regarding appearance, quality, taste, or any other abnormality should be reported to Eggland’s Best using our toll free number (800) 922-EGGS (3447) or by e-mail here.

The short answer is “none.” Generally speaking, hens with white feathers (such as White Leghorns) lay white eggs and hens with reddish brown feathers (such as Rhode Island Reds) lay brown eggs. Shell color has little relationship to egg quality, flavor, nutritive value, cooking characteristics, or shell strength.

The color of brown eggs is a natural pigment placed by the hen on the surface of the shell during the final stages of egg formation. From the inside, the shell appears white. The outer shell color can vary from light to dark brown, depending on the breed of the hen and also on individual hen characteristics.

About 25-30% of brown eggs, irrespective of brand, typically have what are referred to as pigment or protein spots next to the yolk or floating in the albumen. If you look very closely at white eggs, you will see that they have similar particles of protein floating around, but the hens lack the brown pigment in their system that combines with the protein to make them stand out. The spots are not an indication of fertility and they do not contain any blood cells, as would a true blood spot. The spots can be removed with the tip of a knife, if preferred, but they are also perfectly safe to leave. The red-colored blood spots are also safe, but most people prefer to discard bloodspot eggs. It is difficult to detect interior defects when shining a candling light through a brown-shelled egg, so bloodspots are also more frequently found by consumers in brown eggs than whites. There is probably a 1 in 3000 chance of finding a blood spot in a white egg and 1 in 1000 chance in a brown egg.

The American Egg Board Eggcyclopedia provides the following information regarding blood spots:

“Blood spots: Occasionally found on an egg yolk. These tiny spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. Instead, they are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface during formation of the egg or by a similar accident in the wall of the oviduct. Mass candling methods reveal most eggs with blood and those eggs are removed. However, even with mass scanners, it’s impossible to catch them all. Both chemically and nutritionally, eggs with blood spots are fit to eat. You can remove the spot with the tip of a knife, if you wish.”

“The Avian Egg” indicates that abnormal yolk shapes are the result of variations in strength of the vitelline membrane that surrounds the yolk. Weaker parts of the membrane allow the yolk to bulge out to form the corners of the square. These formations are very rare and can be heart-shaped, U-shaped, triangular, etc. It is possible that a certain hen always produces yolks in this unusual shape.

This abnormality would not affect the safety of the eggs.

The Asian form of Avian Influenza (strain H5N1) has never occurred in the United States. Studies indicate that current surveillance and import restrictions should exclude this disease from the Western hemisphere. In the event of an outbreak, the USDA has developed comprehensive early detection and response programs which will result in prompt isolation and depletion of affected flocks.

There is no evidence that Avian Influenza has ever been transmitted to consumers through commercially produced eggs.

Avian Influenza is generally not transmitted through eggs and the virus is destroyed during cooking. Eggland’s Best has imposed strict standards of surveillance and biosecurity to protect flocks and ensure the wholesomeness of eggs marketed under the Eggland’s Best brand.

Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is an egg-borne infection where bacteria can be found on the outside or inside of a shell egg. It emerged in the U.S. during the late 1980s and is now strictly controlled and prevented by a number of procedures.

Eggland’s Best requires that all flocks should be purchased from hatcheries complying with the requirements of the National Poultry Improvement Program administered by the USDA. This certifies freedom from vertically transmitted SE infection.

All flocks producing Eggland’s Best product are vaccinated during the rearing period. A comprehensive testing program is followed to ensure that flocks are free of infection. An important component of the SE prevention program involves washing the eggs in a warm sanitizing solution, which effectively destroys any viral and bacterial contamination on the shell, and keeping eggs refrigerated from the time of packing through to point of sale.

Consumers are advised to refrigerate eggs and to follow good kitchen practices in preparing eggs and recipes containing eggs. Yolks or whites that are “runny” are not adequately cooked.

We advise to avoid eating raw or undercooked egg yolks and whites or products containing raw or undercooked eggs. Follow the Safe Handling Instructions on the carton. “To prevent illness from bacteria: Keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly.”

Eggland’s Best participates in the voluntary USDA program of Grading for quality and egg size, and Eggland’s Best production facilities conform to USDA requirements for construction, equipment, and hygienic operation. The USDA Grademark shows that the eggs were graded for quality and checked for weight (size) under the supervision of a trained USDA grader.

Determining the age of an egg is simple with Eggland’s Best eggs. The day of the year that the eggs are processed and placed into the carton must be shown on each carton with the USDA Grademark shield. This is called the “Pack Date.” The number is a 3-digit code that represents the consecutive day of the year. For example, January 1 is shown as “001” and December 31 as “365.”

Hard-cooked eggs may be difficult to peel if they are very fresh. This is because an egg shrinks inside during storage, which pulls the inner membrane away from the inside of the shell. For this reason, a hard-cooked egg will peel more easily if it has been stored for 1 or 2 weeks before it is cooked.

After boiling the eggs, crack the shell all over by tapping gently, then hold under running water to make peeling easier. Eggs may also be harder to peel if they are not cooked long enough. Hard cooked eggs should be kept refrigerated and used within 1 week.

The American Egg Board website www.aeb.org offers the following information on blood spots – also called meat spots – occasionally found on an egg yolk. Contrary to popular belief, these tiny spots do not indicate a fertilized egg or the presence of a disease. Rather, they are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface during formation of the egg or by a similar accident in the wall of the oviduct. Less than 1% of all eggs produced have blood spots.

Candling methods reveal most eggs with blood spots and those eggs are removed but, even with electronic spotters, it is impossible to catch all of them in the candling process, especially in brown eggs due to the darker color shell. As an egg ages, the yolk takes up water from the albumen to dilute the blood spot so, in actuality, a blood spot indicates that the egg is fresh. Both chemically and nutritionally, these eggs are fit to eat. The spot can be removed with the tip of a knife, if you wish.

Candling is the process of using light to help determine the quality of an egg. Automated mass scanning equipment is used by our egg packers to detect eggs with cracked shells and/or interior defects. During candling, eggs travel along a conveyor belt and pass over a light source where the defects become visible.

Defective eggs are removed by trained operators.

Hand candling – holding a shell egg directly in front of a light source – is done to spot check and determine accuracy in grading. Advanced technology, utilizing computerized integrated cameras and sound wave technology, is also being applied for the segregation of defective eggs.

These structures, called chalazae, are twisted strands of egg white that anchor the yolk in place. A more pronounced chalazae indicates a fresher egg. Fresh eggs which have been refrigerated may not have prominent chalazae but this does not indicate that they have aged. The freshness of an egg is indicated by the date imprinted on the side of the carton.

The white spot on the yolk is called the germinal disc. Fertilization takes place through the germinal disc.

Since EB eggs are not fertilized, no embryonic development can take place.

Eggland’s Best eggs contain 175mg of cholesterol and 25% less saturated fat than ordinary eggs, and 115mg of Omega-3, as compared to 51mg in ordinary eggs. An Eggland’s Best egg also contains 10 times more Vitamin E, which accounts for 25% of a person’s daily requirement, and 40% of a person’s daily requirement for Iodine compared to only 15% in an ordinary egg. For more information on the nutritional benefits of Eggland’s Best eggs, click here.

The unique patented diet of our hens is nutritionally superior to that fed to other hens, so Eggland’s Best hens lay naturally superior eggs. Eggland’s Best hens are fed a wholesome all-vegetarian, high-quality diet with no animal fat, no animal by-products, and no recycled or processed food. The feed contains healthy grains, canola oil, and a premium supplement of rice bran, alfalfa meal, kelp, and Vitamin E. Eggland’s Best eggs are produced without added hormones, antibiotics, or steroids. No hormones or steroids are approved for use with laying hens.

When a hen gets to be about a year to a year and a half old, the mineral reserves in her bones and body start to get depleted, regardless of how nutritionally perfect her diet is. In order to rejuvenate the hen, it is necessary to temporarily stop egg production. This stage of rest from egg production is called molting.

Chickens, as most birds, are stimulated to lay eggs by increasing amounts of light and day length, which initiates their reproductive season in the spring. In order to make egg production stop, the usual practice is to shorten the day length and the availability of light to be comparable to a short winter day when most birds do not lay eggs. The diet is also changed to fit the “off-production” period.

During a molt, the flight feathers are shed and grow back. Molting is a natural process that would occur in a flock of hens at some point in their production cycle. After a hen stops producing eggs, she will be fed a rejuvenating diet. The lights are then increased to simulate the lengthening days of spring, and the hen starts producing eggs again. In this second cycle of egg production, eggs are larger and the shell quality is better. Molting is a practice mostly used by farmers who have a significant market for Extra Large eggs. Since Eggland’s Best eggs are usually available in the Large size, the majority of Eggland’s Best eggs are not produced from molted hens.

Eggland’s Best farms are located all across the United States. Our regular Eggland’s Best eggs in the white carton are from caged hens. Cages are the most prevalent housing system in the commercial egg industry because cages still offer the best sanitation, ventilation, and freedom from dust and ammonia. Cages offer the most disease-free environment, since the hens do not have access to others’ waste and there is no organic matter on which bacteria can grow. There are also fewer problems with hens pecking each other when they are caged in small groups with a rigidly defined social order, rather than the continual mingling and challenging that goes on in a large barn.

The Eggland’s Best Cage-Free and Organic eggs are from cage-free hens. Cage-free means the hens can roam around in a very large building, but do not have outdoor access like free-range hens. Organic means that the hens live in a cage-free environment and also have outdoor access, as conditions permit. The cage-free environment offers greater freedom for movement and other normal hen behaviors. Eggland’s Best Cage-Free and Organic eggs are rapidly expanding distribution in the marketplace. To protect the birds from each other, a process is done with special equipment, which cauterizes the beak and may be compared to clipping a dog’s claws. Beak trimming is sometimes incorrectly referred to as “de-beaking.” Beaks are not removed or the birds could not eat. The sharp tips of chicks’ beaks are trimmed or “blunted” to lessen injury to each other. Beak trimming is done when chicks are less than a week old. Beak-trimmed chicks will immediately resume pecking, eating, and drinking.

Eggland’s Best 100% Liquid Egg Whites are heated during pasteurization and therefore not recommended for meringues or angel food cake.

Absolutely! Eggland’s Best 100% Liquid Egg Whites make a convenient, versatile and healthy substitute for eggs in most recipes. Be sure to check out our website: www.egglandsbest.com for some great recipes.

Here are the substitution amounts:

No more pull rings.

Twisting the cap breaks two safety seals:

1. First, the seal to the safety ring at the base of the cap will break.

2. Second, “teeth” on the inside of the cap are extended down through the carton, opening the flap and creating the hole in the package.

Twist cap to open, our caps do not use a pull ring. As the cap is twisted counterclockwise, the plastic “teeth” cut through the carton creating the pour opening.

Yes. Eggland’s Best 100% Liquid Egg Whites can be frozen up to one year if they are unopened.

To thaw, the product should be placed in a refrigerator overnight.

Once opened the product should NEVER be frozen or refrozen.

Eggland’s Best 100% Liquid Egg Whites should be kept refrigerated and used within seven (7) days of opening.

Unopened cartons, kept refrigerated, are good until the “Use By” date printed on each package.

Confused by the product code? It can be tricky.

USE BY 17 JAN 14 L2 P1455 3 LOT 3019G.

The “Use By” starts with the day (17), month (JAN) and then the year (14). This particular product should be used by January 17, 2014.

The next line “L2” refers to the line it was processed on (Line 2). After that, P1455 tells you which plant the egg whites were processed at.

Fnally, LOT is the lot code. 3 tells you what year (2013), while 019 tells you what day in that year according to the Julian calendar. The G, tells you which plant made the product.

Eggland’s Best 100% Liquid Egg Whites are certified by the American Heart Association as meeting all the criteria for their “Low in Saturated Fat & Cholesterol” Food Certification Program.

For more information, including recipes and other certified products. Please visit www.heartcheckmark.org.

Eggland’s Best 100% Liquid Egg Whites are made with the same Eggland’s Best shell eggs that you buy in the grocery store. The eggs are cracked and the whites and yolks separated. The liquid egg whites are pasteurized and packaged into easy-pour cartons.

Because the egg yolk is removed, Eggland’s Best 100% Liquid Egg Whites are naturally fat-free and cholesterol free, provide a good source of protein (5g) with only 25 calories per serving.

Eggland’s Best 100% Liquid Egg Whites are made with pure egg whites exclusively from Eggland’s Best shell eggs.

No artificial colors, flavors, preservatives are ever added.

And unlike generic eggs, Eggland’s Best eggs come from hens that are fed a strictly controlled, high-quality all-vegetarian diet. The feed contains no animal fat, no animal by-products, and no recycled or processed food. Lard and other animal by-products are never allowed in Eggland’s Best hen feed.

Medium

Sliced Genoa Salame

Milk Chocolate

Pitting olives makes life easier and convenient for us, but not every olive cooperates. To be certain, be mindful that a small pit fragment could remain inside the olive.

All varieties of EB Snacks contain Egg and Milk allergens.

The Chocolate Covered Almonds item also contains Almonds, Peanuts, and Soy.

Yes, please keep refrigerated until consumed. Please consume shortly after opening.

Each grocery retailer is different. They can be located in either the Egg section, the Meat Snacks section, or the Refrigerated Snacks section.

It is printed in dark ink on the side of the tray.

Yes, the tray is made of PET #1 coded and is recyclable. Please check your local municipality policies.