Canada’s Egg Police: Industry vs. Small Farmers
In Canada, a small farmer with 99 or fewer hens can sell “ungraded” eggs at his/her gate, but nowhere else. So a small farmer who sells eggs at the farmers market is breaking the law. With prices for farmstead eggs skyrocketing, industrial egg producers are fighting back against what they see as an infringement on their territory.
“[Ungraded] eggs offer smaller producers a good revenue source. But this growing market for a different kind of egg is creating tension between the small farms that raise them and the egg marketing board that has helped to develop the mainstream egg industry in Canada and its large chicken farms. This tension now is putting the future supply of this sought-after product in question as what some call the ‘egg police’ crack down on the grey market.”
What’s the risk of “ungraded” eggs? Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs says on its site,
“Eggs that are cracked, dirty, or leaking have a higher risk of Salmonella contamination…”
Indeed. But even graded eggs have a risk of being cracked, hence the practice of checking the eggs in a carton before buying them. And, as recent food recalls have shown, industrial food production does not guarantee food safety. On the other hand, proper cooking also kills any salmonella that could be present.
Here’s another difference: graded eggs are required to be washed. Ungraded eggs must be clean, but not necessarily washed, depending on state regulations. When washing is not required, small farmers usually don’t– and many consumers prefer them this way because they stay fresh longer.
Here in Utah, a small farmer can sell eggs so long as they are not in a used egg carton, and so long as they are labeled “Ungraded.” When we sold eggs, we sold them unwashed, unless they were dirty and required it.
