Brown or white? When it comes to buying eggs you probably choose out of habit, but the truth is the color of eggs doesn’t matter much. Brown eggs and white eggs might look different, but in terms of taste, nutrition, and uses they’re the same, says Ken Klippen, president of the National Association of Egg Farmers<www.eggfarmers.org/>, who has a master’s degree in poultry science.
“There’s no taste difference and no nutritional difference,” Klippen says. Brown eggs simply have a pigment in the shell that white eggs don’t have, he explains.
Ultimately, the color of an egg tells you a little about the breed of chicken that laid it. Darker breeds tend to lay darker eggs, while white breeds lay white eggs.
However, other aspects of the hen’s health, especially what it was fed, could impact the nutritional value, taste, and texture of your eggs — regardless of color, Klippen says.
Here’s what you should know about brown versus white eggs, and what else to look for when purchasing your dozen.
Why are eggs white vs. brown?
To understand why some eggs are brown, it’s helpful to consider how eggs are produced<backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/eggs-meat/how-do-chickens-lay-eggs/>.
The yolk of the egg — the ovum of the hen — enters the oviduct. As the yolk moves along, layers including the egg white and shell are added. That’s the same for all eggs, but for brown eggs there’s an extra step: At the end of the process, a pigment called protoporphyrin IX<pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24235220/> is added to the eggshell in dark-feathered hens.
The color of the egg is entirely dictated by the breed. You can tell what color egg a hen will produce by looking at its feathers or earlobes. In general, brown layers are American-origin breeds like Bovans Browns<www.bovans.com/en/product/bovans-brown/> or New Hampshire Red<www.bovans.com/en/product/bovans-brown/>, while white layers are Mediterranean-origin breeds like the Leghorn<www.thehappychickencoop.com/leghorn-chicken/>.
Why are brown eggs more expensive?
Most eggs sold in the United States are white, Klippen says. That’s because breeds like the Leghorn are smaller, but still produce lots of eggs, so they are more economical for farmers. This also explains why brown eggs are often more expensive.
“It takes more feed to feed and produce a dozen eggs for a brown-shelled egg layer, and that’s your primary expense in farming eggs,” he says.
Despite that, brown eggs are more common in New England, where brown-laying breeds originated. They’re also a more popular choice for free-range eggs, something that Klippen says is a marketing move.
“If consumers see something labeled cage-free, and it’s brown, they think of a farm,” he says. That holistic image can make people more willing to accept higher prices, says Klippen.