Does It Actually Matter If You Buy Brown or White Eggs?

There is a lot of information to be found on egg carton labels, but what about the color of the eggs inside? To help you shell out your money wisely, we asked four poultry experts why some eggs are white while others are brown, blue, and beyond.

Related: Yes, the Color of Your Egg Yolk Matters — Here’s What It Means

What’s the difference between brown and white eggs?

Poultry experts say an eggshell’s color is completely based on the type of chicken that lays it. “The shell color is dictated by the breed. It’s genetic,” says Jonathan Moyle, PhD, poultry expert and extension specialist at the University of Maryland College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.

Most eggs come with a “base color” that’s white, explains Richard Blatchford, PhD, a poultry researcher and associate specialist in Cooperative Extension: Small to Industry Scale Poultry at the UC Davis Department of Animal Science. But as eggs travel through hens’ oviducts during the reproductive process, some breeds deposit pigments that change the color of the egg shells.

Brown eggs

• Generally laid by red or red-brown birds with red earlobes

• A pigment protein called protoporphyrin is added as the eggshell is built

• Most in the U.S. are produced by Rhode Island Red or Plymouth Rock chickens

White eggs

• Generally laid by white birds with white earlobes

• Common U.S. breed is White Leghorn chickens

“For chickens that lay brown eggs, a pigment protein called protoporphyrin is added as the eggshell is built, thus adding the brown coloration,” says James K. Yarborough, extension agent of agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. For chickens that lay blue eggs, a pigment protein called oocyan is added when the eggshell is built, creating a blue shade, he says.

Although exceptions exist, there is a general rule in the poultry community when it comes to knowing the color of egg a hen will lay: Birds that have red earlobes (which also tend to have red or red-brown feathers) will usually lay brown eggs, and those that have white earlobes and feathers will lay white eggs, says Blatchford.

Related: What's the Difference Between Cage Free, Free Range, and Pasture Raised Eggs?

Most of the brown eggs in the U.S. are produced by a type of chicken breed called Rhode Island Red or Plymouth Rock, while many of the white eggs are made by White Leghorn chickens, he says, noting, “Whatever color egg a hen lays at their first egg will be the same color throughout their entire life.”

There are some variations of brown and white, which may be dictated by the age of the hen. “Brown eggs may be really dark brown when the hen is younger and fade to a lighter color when the hen is older,” Blanchard adds.

"“There should be no effect on any part of the inside of the egg based on the eggshell color.”"

Richard Blatchford, associate specialist in Cooperative Extension: Small to Industry Scale Poultry at the UC Davis Department of Animal Science

Are brown eggs healthier?

While brown eggs have built up a reputation for being healthier or more “natural,” that’s not the case, adds Marc Dresner, director of integrated communications at the American Egg Board. “All eggs are healthy according to the FDA,” he says. Something else worth pointing out, per Dresner: “Organic eggs can be both white and brown, but contrary to popular misconception, not all brown eggs are organic.”

The color of the eggshell has no impact on the egg’s nutritional value or taste, adds Yarborough. “This is derived more from breed and bird nutrition,” he adds.

Blatchford agrees. “There should be no effect on any part of the inside of the egg based on the eggshell color,” he says.

Related: 4 Ways to Tell if Your Eggs Have Gone Bad

What about blue or green eggs?

Pastel-hued eggs are less common in commercial stores than brown and white eggs, but they show up on some shelves. For example, Two Creek’s Rainbow Eggs, which feature a mix of brown, white, green, blue, and beige eggshells, can be found at some specialty stores. But you’re more likely to spot these colored eggs at your local farmers market.

Like brown and white eggs, pastel-colored eggs are also dictated by the breed of the hen, says Moyle. “There are all kinds of genetics going on there,” he says. Some breeds, like Araucanas and Ameraucanas, are also known for laying blue eggs, says Yarborough.

“People more recently have done a lot of artificial selection and are breeding birds that lay different colored eggs,” says Blatchford. “They’ve come up with all different shades of green, blue, and brown [eggs]. Some look pinkish, but they’re basically a shade of brown.”

“Easter Eggers” are mixed-breed hens that carry blue and brown egg genes, and lay a wide variety of colored eggs.

The bottom line: While buying pasture-raised eggs from the grocery store or farmers market will likely get you the highest-quality eggs, poultry experts agree that there is no “best” eggshell color. Yarborough puts it simply. “It does not matter at all what color eggs you choose.” 

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