Organic Egg Ratings at Your Fingertips

It’s worth studying the many shades of organic, especially regarding eggs. The organic label can be slapped onto cartons of eggs laid by hens crowded in semiconfinement on megafarms, as well as on those from hens that scratch outdoors for dinner. The Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit agricultural watchdog group that reveals industrial practices within the elastic organic standards, began rating eggs over five years ago. The ratings, updated last year, are based on how the birds are raised. About 150 local and national brands are judged at one to five eggs, the highest mark. The organization does not have an app yet, but Mark Kastel, a founder, said the online chart is mobile friendly. Yogurt and other dairy products, pet foods and more have also been evaluated on the website: cornucopia.org.