How to Find Best Eggs in Karachi

Who doesn’t like eggs? Almost in every part of the world eggs are and have been for many centuries the No.1 food for breakfast and not only in breakfast but its also in fact one of the widely used ingredient in majority of the dishes worldwide.

With such high demand for eggs with the growing population people needed more eggs in shorter period of time and this led to the egg farming or in other words the industrial manufacturing of eggs.

And since this method is not natural, the eggs produced this way are not even natural or organic.

But why worry over the fact that our eggs are not organic after all an egg is an egg a long as it has the shell, the white and the yolk….  STOP RIGHT THERE AND LOOK CLOSELY…..

Every time you buy a dozen eggs from the doodh dahi ki dukan waala, what is the first thing you notice?

1.The eggs are always given in a non biodegradable plastic polythene bag which itself is a very harmful chemical substance and causes food adulteration.

2. The eggs are clustered together and you can hardly figure out the rotten ones.

3. The color of the shell… white, since when did chicken start laying white colored eggs?

4. The shell.. most of the times, in fact every time these eggs have very very dirty shells and mostly have chicken poop sticking on them. Eww gross….! I know

And then we bring these eggs at home and neatly arrange them in the clean egg trays of our fridge.

Thus transferring all the germs and bacteria from the chicken poop to the fridge in which the viruses will find a new haven to breed and then infect any food item that’s kept close to the egg tray.

But the most important question is “What is the quality of these eggs?”

Which chickens are laying these eggs and do these eggs have all the essential nutrients needed for our body?

According to the Canadian egg industry     one large egg weighing approximately  (53g) Grade A egg contains 6 g of protein and only 70 calories.

So lets breakdown this egg phenomenon into main categories of eggs available in Karachi:-

1. Battery caged
2. Free range/cage free
3. Natural/Organic/desi/Pastured
4. Omega 3 enriched eggs

Battery/caged eggs

The cheapest around Rs 70- 90 per dozen and widely available eggs.

These eggs are supplied all over Pakistan to your local milk shop.

Features

White shell, unhygienic aesthetically unpleasant packaging.

Whats inside

When you crack open these eggs just look at the color of the yolks, trust me this yolk is not even worthy to be called a yolk because the color is not even close to orange yellow its a very very pale yellow.

Now whats the fuss with the yellow.. right?

A darker yellow yolk is an indicator of a nutritious and balanced diet rich in xanthophyll, omega3 fatty acids and meats.

Now whats actually wrong with these battery caged eggs?

According to  Human Farming Egg Industry these battery cages chickens are fed enormous amounts of antibiotics, pesticides, and other chemicals used

• Up to five hens are crowded for life in a cage with the floor space barely larger than the size of a folded newspaper.
• Feed additives are used to artificially color egg yolks in order to create a “natural” yellow appearance.
• Barely able to move, the hens incessantly strike out in frustration – pecking at the only thing available: each other.
• To reduce cannibalism, laying hens are “debeaked.” Debeaking is a painful procedure whereby the hen’s sensitive upper beak is sliced off with a hot blade. Many die from shock during the process.
• Male chicks are of no value to the egg industry. They are thrown into plastic bags to suffocate slowly under the weight of chicks dumped on top. Others are ground into animal feed – while still alive.
• Veterinary care is non-existent. Individual hens are considered cheap and expendable. Critically ill birds are simply thrown onto “dead piles” via Egg Industry

So with so many cons of battery caged eggs , do you think you should challenge your own health and your loved ones with the most important meal of the day that is eggs?

Free range/ cage free

Usually these eggs will cost you around Rs 110 per dozen and these eggs usually come in proper egg cartons, with a company name package seal on them

Features

These eggs have a white shell, they are clean, they have a company stamp on them.

Usually in Karachi these eggs come under the name of Farm Fresh and Golden eggs.

Whats inside

The yolk is big as compared to the conventional caged eggs. The color of the yolk is orangish yellow and they taste better as compared to the conventional eggs.

Pastured Eggs/Desi/ Organic

Although Organic eggs come under a different category but here in Pakistan organic is till considered as natural or pastured.

The most expensive egg which cost around Rs 600 per dozen are available, in only big supermarkets like Naheed, Imtiaz and Hyperstar. Only some of the local vendors keep desi eggs.

Features

These eggs are relatively small in size and have light brownish colored shells often with tiny dots. When bought in a dozen these eggs differ each other inn terms of color and shape.

When bought from Hyperstar these eggs can be bought in neatly arranged egg trays and the eggs are clean.

Whats inside

The yolk is pretty big and the color is bright orange yellow.

And yes, these eggs definitely taste different and better. In fact when you eat these eggs you can actually the feel the taste of rich eggs.

The nutritional value of these eggs is way  more than the conventional eggs.

Organic or desi eggs are free from any harmful chemicals or antibiotics.

Organic eggs come from chickens that must have access to the outdoors year-round. This means the hens get exercise and have an opportunity to eat grasses, other plants and insects in addition their feed, which may improve the nutritional quality of the fat found in the eggs. via Benefits of Organic Eggs

Omega 3 Enriched Eggs

Basically these eggs come from chickens that are fed flax seed as the main diet. Flax seeds are a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids.

Features

The color of the shell can be white, or brown, these eggs appear to be bigger in size and are now easily available in big supermarkets like Hyperstar, Imtiaz, and Naheed.

What inside

The color of the yolk is orangish yellow and its bigger in size.

If you are looking to enhance omega 3 intake then opting for these eggs can help.

However there is still a debate over to what are the best eggs, but honestly the best eggs would come from chickens from your own backyard in other words raise your own chickens feed them yourself and get fresh eggs every morning.

Please do share any useful information that you have related to Eggs in Karachi.