HOW DO I GET MY EGGS TESTED?
Thanks for your interest in our pastured eggs testing project! The results from our 2007 project can be found in Meet Real Free-range Eggs (October/November 2007). You can still participate by sending your eggs to Covance Labs and posting the results in the comments of the Egg Results Page, including the information below. Please send questions to Tabitha at talterman@MotherEarthNews.com.
- your name
- the name of your farm (if applicable)
- your city, state and Web site (if applicable)
- chicken breed(s)
- details about supplemental feed your provide for your birds
How much does it cost?
Because nutrition tests are expensive and many free-range egg producers have small operations, We encourage you to have your samples tested for cholesterol, fatty acids and vitamin E. The total for those three tests is $310.50, and you'll need to include the check with your samples. In order to get the 10% discount, the lab will need to send all the results in one batch to the offices of Mother Earth News. We will keep a photocopy of each report for our research purposes, then mail your results to you free of charge. NOTE: We will publish the names of cooperating producers in our report (unless you ask us not to do so).
You may want to test other nutrients, as well. Here's a short price list for egg nutrients that are likely to be high when hens range on pasture:
- cholesterol: $110
- fatty acid profile: $110
- vitamin E: $125
- folic acid: $125
- selenium: $50
- beta carotene: $90
Contact BodyCote labs at www.fplabs.com or (800) 375-9555 for a complete price list.
How do I package and ship my egg samples?
You will be notified about when to prepare your egg samples. When it's time, you'll need to collect five eggs from your free-ranging birds. You can ship them whole (with plenty of packing material so they cannot break), or cracked all together into a non-reactive plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, and surrounded by packing material. To maintain freshness, the lab suggests shipping your samples overnight with a cold pack in the box. Send your samples to the following address:
Bodycote-FPL
Mother Earth News Egg Project
12004 NE Ainsworth Circle
Suite 105
Portland, OR 97220
In order to receive the discount, you must include an index card inside your package that says "Mother Earth News Egg Project," along with your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and payment (see details above).
QUESTIONS? Please contact Tabitha Alterman for more information about our pastured egg testing project.
Read the report about our 2005 testing: THE GOOD EGG
