Gold Circle Farms

Do eggs have high levels of cholestserol? Are eggs bad for you?

Current research strongly suggests that dietary cholesterol has much less impact on serum blood cholesterol levels than previously theorized. The majority of nutritionists will tell you that it is more important to avoid hydrogenated fats, trans fats and saturated fats in order to lower your cholesterol levels, than strictly avoiding cholesterol in your diet.

Gold Circle Farm eggs have 150 mg of DHA-Omega 3 and DHA can support higher HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol) as opposed to LDL (bad cholesterol). DHA can also promote lower triglyceride levels and a healthier blood lipid profile. DHA is found in fish and is the main reason that doctors and nutritionist strongly suggest eating one or two portions a week. Two Gold Circle Farm eggs have 300mg of DHA and that is equal to the DHA found in a 3oz portion of salmon.


Do Gold Circle Farms eggs lose any DHA when they are exposed to heat or cooked with other ingredients?

When cooked, Gold Circle Farms eggs will lose only an imperceptible amount of DHA. In testing, we found that the DHA levels in raw eggs as compared to cooked eggs are basically the same. DHA in the egg is very stable and holds up to heat. Additionally, DHA will be digested and absorbed in the digestive tract without interferences from other ingredients, so you are getting the same amount of DHA whether you eat Gold Circle Farms eggs alone or in chocolate cake.


How long after the expiration date can I use eggs or liquid eggs?

Normally, eggs are good for about 3-4 weeks after the sell by date. After that, the eggs are not spoiled, but you will notice that the yolks will begin to flatten or break when you crack them and the whites will become thin or watery. At this point, you can still eat them and they will still not cause any harm to your health, but quality, freshness, and taste are highly compromised.

Gold Circle Farms liquid eggs should be used by the expiration date on the carton. If they are unopened and refrigerated properly they can keep for up to 3 days past the date printed on the carton. After opening the carton, the liquid eggs are good for about 7 days.


Where can I find Gold Circle Farms eggs?

At the top of our website there is a link for the "Where to Buy" section. There you can see retailers that sell Gold Circle Farms eggs in your state. Unfortunately, this list may be inaccurate because when we sell to a retailer, we do not have control over which locations they actually put out products in. Approach the deli managers at our local market and ask them to bring in Gold Circle Farms eggs as many times as possible. You can also email us at info@goldcirclefarms.com, so that we can help you find a retailer near you that sells Gold Circle Farms and pass on your interest to.


Am I still getting all of the nutrients in the egg if I only eat the whites?

The yolk of the egg is what carries all the DHA and most of the vitamins and minerals that eggs are rich in. Many people avoid egg yolks because of the bad cholesterol image that was cast on eggs back in the 1970’s and early 1980’s before nutrition science was really developed. Now that we have learned more about nutrition in the last 10 years than we have ever known, people are starting to realize that the vitamins and minerals contained in eggs outweigh any the harm of any cholesterol contained in eggs.

Furthermore, all major studies on eggs and human cholesterol levels have found no correlation between egg intake and rising body cholesterol levels in people. If you are interested in reading more about eggs and cholesterol, WebMD has a great article at http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/eggs-dietary-friend-foe.

If yolks are something you are absolutely not interested in, we also sell Gold Circle Farms liquid egg whites that are fortified with DHA. These egg whites give you 50mg of DHA per serving without the yolk.


Are Gold Circle Farms eggs organic?

Gold Circle Farm eggs are not organic. There is an extensive process that must be completed and a number of criteria that must be met before eggs can be certified organic. The algae used to produce the high DHA content of our eggs (150 mg) is very expensive and the additional costs of certifying Gold Circle Farms Eggs Organic would force us to raise the cost of our eggs.

Another reason our eggs are not certified organic is that the railcars we use to transport our eggs are not used exclusively for organic products.

Despite not being certified organic, Gold Circle Farm eggs are free of antibiotics, hormones, and GMO treated products. The feed that our hens are given is organically farmed free of pesticides and chemical contaminants.


Animal Welfare

Do you give your hens any antibiotics, hormones, or GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)?

Gold Circle Farms never exposes its hens to antibiotics, hormones, or GMOs, so you can enjoy our eggs in good health.


Do you practice beak cutting?

For the safety of the hens, Gold Circle Farms does trim the tip of the hens’ beaks. Hens will often peck at one another leading to serious injury and often death. By trimming the very tip of the beak, we are ensuring that the hens do not hurt one another. We only trim the beaks of hens that are younger than 10 days old. At such a young age, the hens’ beaks are much softer and the procedure can be done painlessly, much like trimming a fingernail.


Are Gold Circle Farms eggs cage free?

Yes, our cage free eggs are from flocks that are never caged. They are allowed to move freely in a large barn, which protects them from predators, provides shelter from the environment and allows us to control their diet. Within each barn is a central house where the hens can come and go freely to lay their eggs.


What do you feed your hens?

Gold Circle Farms hens are given an all natural, vegetarian feed consisting of corn, flaxseed, wheat mill run, Limestone, Methionine (Amino Acid), salt, Marigold extract, vitamins and trace minerals. There is also a small amount of soy bean meal in the hens’ diets. This vegetarian feed is completely free of animal by products.


Are your hens free range?

The term “free range” means that hens have access to the outdoors. Our hens live inside a barn, which protects them from the environment and predators as well as to control their diet. Although they stay in the barn, our hens are free to roam around and socialize with the other hens.


DHA

How much DHA is in your liquid egg?

There are 50mg of DHA in each serving of Gold Circle Farms liquid egg product. This is an all egg white product that is fortified with DHA because DHA is normally found in the yolk of the egg.


How do DHA levels in Gold Circle Farms eggs compare to those in other eggs?

Generically produced eggs naturally have a level of 18-20 mg of DHA. Free Range eggs can have almost twice that, 30-35 mg each, depending on their diets. Hens that are fed flax seed can have as much as 250mg of ALA, but generally only have 50-75mg of DHA and no significant EPA.

Gold Circle Farm eggs have 150 mg of DHA, almost eight times the amount found in normal eggs, and two eggs have the equivalent DHA as a portion of salmon. Gold Circle Farm eggs have the highest in the industry for vegetarian fed hens.


How do you get the DHA into the eggs?

Eggs are a natural source of ALA and DHA but not EPA significantly. We increase the DHA Omega 3 by simply supplementing the hens’ food with DHA micro rich algae. This patented technology involves growing algae, naturally found in the cold North Atlantic waters, in stainless steel tanks to prevent any contamination from pollution. The algae is then dried and fed to the hens. Each hen receives approximately 220mg of DHA of which 150 is deposited in the egg.

Some producers use fish oil, which may increase the EPA, but generally this method cannot produce an egg over 150mg of DHA without affecting the taste profile.


Why is DHA important?

ALA, DHA, and EPA are the three Omega 3 fatty acids. DHA and EPA are found in liver, fish and other seafood. DHA is vital for brain, heart and eye function and development. Most people, especially vegetarians have ample ALA in their diets, however they lack DHA and EPA.

ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA through metabolic processes in the human body, but we are very inefficient. Only 5% of ALA on average and 10% in very health individuals is converted. If you drink, smoke, are over 50 years old or have an unbalanced diet, this percentage can be lower.

Ordinary eggs, generic or organic have approximately 18mg of DHA. Free range may have slightly more if the hens have sufficient access to insects or worms as a food source, but the increase would be negligible. Most research is on the potential benefits from Omega 3 fatty acids is focused on DHA and EPA rather than ALA which is most used mostly as an energy source by the body. If you want to include more DHA in your diet it is more efficient to supplement directly than to consume large amounts of ALA.