FOOD NEWS
What Is So Special About Orange Egg Yolks?
BY BRIAN UDALL
The word on the street is that the darker orange an egg yolk is, the better the chicken's diet, and therefore has more nutritional value. However, the truth is deeper than that.
The chemical compounds that turn egg yolks orange are carotenoids, which are found in plants. When these healthy antioxidants are found in eggs, they indicate the hen's diet.
Free-range chickens are more likely to get the carotenoids needed for an orange yolk, while a bright yellow yolk indicates a wheat-based diet and suggests the chicken was caged.
However, food additives to chicken feed make this useful tip somewhat less useful. Farmers may add small amounts of turmeric or marigold to imitate a natural diet.