Why do cheap eggs make me sick?

Old_Cat_Lady
Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I used to get cramps and lie in bed for an hour holding my stomach and shaking my leg. One day, I tried egglands best and no pain. Stuck with it. I have tried reg eggs a few times, cramping happens again.
What is this called so I can research it? I also don't get cramps with Kirkland (costco) cage free eggs. By cheap I mean 99 cent a dozen eggs. I think egglands best are 3.49 a dozen. Are the chickens fed a different food? What makes them different?
I researched and got something about a protein allergy. But I only get it with el-cheapos.
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Replies

  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited July 2017
    There is no way that painful one hour cramping is in my head. This has been going on for almost 10 years. Is there something to the more expensive eggs that makes them better?
    It even happens w/ boiled eggs in case anyone says it might be the cooking method. Even boiled eggs (the same way) the cheap ones cause problems.
    Maybe a better question would be do you eat Egglands best eggs and why? I bought them just b/c I had a coupon one day.
  • thewindandthework
    thewindandthework Posts: 531 Member
    Are your nice fancy eggs unpasteurized? That's really the only difference between excellent farm fresh eggs and the mass-produced ones, other than price and the treatment of the animals.

    I suppose it's possible you might be having some sort of allergic reaction to something in the poor chickens' diet, but it seems unlikely. Do you have any known food allergies? Is cramping the only symptom?

    I suspect there is some other cause here. I confess that a psychosomatic reaction was my first thought before I saw someone already suggested it.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    I would be surprised if they weren't the same eggs. Store brands are frequently the same thing repackaged.
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited July 2017
    So why do Egglands eggs best sell in the first place. Must be hard to sell eggs for 3.49 a dozen with 99 cent eggs right next to them. There is an answer out there.
    @ jenny - I know Costco would not re-package eggs and name them cage free.
    @ the wind - I have trouble with soy products sometimes.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    So why do Egglands eggs best sell in the first place. Must be hard to sell eggs for 3.49 a dozen with 99 cent eggs right next to them. There is an answer out there.
    @ jenny - I know Costco would not re-package eggs and name them cage free.

    Yes, the cage free eggs are from a different farm where the chickens are allowed access outside at some point in the day. I'm not sure where Egglands come from, but they sell them in my area too so I assume they are just from a bunch of contracted farms around the country using the standard methods for egg production. They cost more because they are branded.
  • thewindandthework
    thewindandthework Posts: 531 Member
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    Maybe a better question would be do you eat Egglands best eggs and why?.
    About half of my eggs come from a friend of my sister's; they trade eggs for services and sometimes my sister ends up with way too many amazing fresh free-range eggs. So those are excellent, unpasteurized, with beautiful orange yolks. And free. Nice.

    And the other half of my eggs are the 99 cent eggs from the grocery store. I can't say that I've ever even noticed a difference in flavor, just appearance and freshness.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited July 2017
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    So why do Egglands eggs best sell in the first place. Must be hard to sell eggs for 3.49 a dozen with 99 cent eggs right next to them.

    Many people will pay more for organic and some may believe that the chickens are treated better.

    I mostly buy local farm-raised, eggs from pastured chickens. I pay more because the chickens are treated better. I don't believe the eggs are healthier and when I have regular grocery store eggs (like every time I visit my parents, I'm sure they buy whatever is cheapest at Safeway), I don't think they are unhealthy or anything. (Of course not.)
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    It's probably something in the feed. Eggland's Best eggs actually have a little bit lower calorie count than a regular egg based on the hens' feed.

    This is from their website:

    The unique patented diet of our hens is nutritionally superior to that fed to other hens, so Eggland's Best hens lay naturally superior eggs. Eggland's Best hens are fed a wholesome all-vegetarian, high-quality diet with no animal fat, no animal by-products, and no recycled or processed food.
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited July 2017
    @ run. Funny I have always avoided pastries and donuts. And I definitively hate mayo. Although I do eat bagels.
    CMNVA wrote: »
    The unique patented diet of our hens is nutritionally superior to that fed to other hens, so Eggland's Best hens lay naturally superior eggs. Eggland's Best hens are fed a wholesome all-vegetarian, high-quality diet with no animal fat, no animal by-products, and no recycled or processed food.
    I had no idea. Not sure if I believe it, but something is different. It might be what chickens are fed. Soy is vegetarian, so that might not be it.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    jennybearlv wrote: »
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    So why do Egglands eggs best sell in the first place. Must be hard to sell eggs for 3.49 a dozen with 99 cent eggs right next to them. There is an answer out there.
    @ jenny - I know Costco would not re-package eggs and name them cage free.

    Yes, the cage free eggs are from a different farm where the chickens are allowed access outside at some point in the day. I'm not sure where Egglands come from, but they sell them in my area too so I assume they are just from a bunch of contracted farms around the country using the standard methods for egg production. They cost more because they are branded.

    Often, they're from the same farm. Just different buildings. And cage-free doesn't necessarily mean they ever go outside - just that they can roam around the building.

    EB comes from the same exact farms that just about every other egg comes from.

    I know this because my SIL works at one of New England's biggest egg farms and gets eggs as part of her compensation - she's gotten a bunch of "brands" that I've never heard of (probably certain stores' own brands), as well as EB.

    And, yes, EB eggs cost more simply for the name.
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    @ troberts. So you think they are fed the same and it's all a lie that Eggland's Best says? Gosh, wouldn't someone sue them for false advertising. Interesting.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    @ run. Funny I have always avoided pastries and donuts. And I definitively hate mayo. Although I do eat bagels.
    CMNVA wrote: »
    The unique patented diet of our hens is nutritionally superior to that fed to other hens, so Eggland's Best hens lay naturally superior eggs. Eggland's Best hens are fed a wholesome all-vegetarian, high-quality diet with no animal fat, no animal by-products, and no recycled or processed food.
    I had no idea. Not sure if I believe it, but something is different. It might be what chickens are fed. Soy is vegetarian, so that might not be it.

    I was going to say probably it'd what the chickens are fed. I have lots of food sensitivities including soy too. I read once eggs can be treated with something that people can react to. Who knows really but I'd bet it's what they're fed
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    @ troberts. So you think they are fed the same and it's all a lie that Eggland's Best says? Gosh, wouldn't someone sue them for false advertising. Interesting.

    Well, I know for the meat industry different brands of chicken provide all the poultry and feed to the farmer, then the farmer raises the chicken. I don't remember what happens after that if they have their own slaughter houses, or just send them wherever to be prepared for sale. I'm going to assume the egg industry is similar. So, it is possible that Egglands is using a different feed. I still don't see how feed, to chicken, to egg, to you gives you stomach cramps. I mean it may have slightly different nutrients, but I've never heard of someone with an allergy being sensitive to a product produced by an animal that eats that food.
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    I tried the EB eggs and was sick for the whole week, it took me a few days to figure out it was the eggs. So I guess it's just 'to each his own' :)

    The eggs are not just "eggs" they are forced to be more nutritious, I once read an article about McDonald's eggs and since learned that just because it is still in the shell it is not equal to all the other shelled eggs.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
    What they feed the chickens is probably different. I'm not a chemist so I'm not sure what impact that has on the composition of the egg, but .... maybe?
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    I'm researching what these 99 cent/dozen hens eat and can't find anything. Cage free don't bother me either.

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