Many believe that eating food “closer to the land” provides more nutrients and health benefits than eating food produced by conventional large-scale producers. Depending on the food and the producer, this could be true. However, those new to the complexities of farming might not have adequate food safety knowledge to avoid foodborne illnesses. Food safety is especially important for egg production and handling.

Question: Are backyard and free-range eggs more nutritious than eggs from caged chickens?

Answer: Eggs offer an amazing array of essential nutrients in a tiny 70-calorie package. After all, each egg has to contain all of the nutrients necessary for a chick to develop and hatch. Regardless of how the egg is produced, eggs provide a good source of high-quality protein, the often underconsumed vitamin biotin and the essential nutrient choline. Recent dietary estimates indicate that over 90 percent of adults in the U.S. consume less than recommended amounts of choline and could benefit by consuming choline-rich foods like eggs.

Eggs from free-range and backyard chickens often have a deeper orange yolk than commercial eggs. This is related to higher levels of colorful carotenoid compounds like beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin that are so beneficial for eye health.

The amount of these compounds in eggs depends on the composition of the chicken feed.

Q: Are backyard or free-range chicken eggs safer or cleaner than eggs from caged birds?

A: Regardless of how chickens are raised, all producers and consumers need to be aware of the risk of salmonella in eggs. Some chickens can be carriers of salmonella, and their eggs will contain some of the microbe internally. For minimal risk of salmonella due to internal contamination, it is safest to fully cook eggs.

Eggs also can be exposed to salmonella after they are laid by coming in contact with fecal matter and then being cleaned improperly. In the past, many producers and backyard farmers “dry cleaned” their eggs with sandpaper, an emery cloth or a brush. This was safer than improperly washing them. Fresh eggs have a natural protective coating called a bloom that helps to prevent microbes from entering the egg.

Washing eggs in water removes this coating, making the egg more easily penetrated by potentially dangerous microorganisms.

Eggs can be washed, but they should be washed quickly in water that is 10 to 20 degrees F warmer than the eggs’ temperature.

This helps to prevent water from entering the egg through the shell and potentially carrying microorganisms into the egg’s interior.

Once eggs have been washed, it is best to dry them with paper towels, refrigerate them soon and consume them within a few weeks.

Q: Can you make clean and safe mayonnaise at home?

A: Mayonnaise is made from oil, raw egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice. Since raw egg yolk from any type of fresh egg has the potential to carry salmonella, proper preparation technique is extremely important.

Although recipes vary, using the proper amount of acid (lemon juice or vinegar) is critical.

Safer recipes have 4 to 7 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar per egg yolk. If salmonella are present in the egg yolk, the acidity eradicates the bacteria more quickly at around 70 degrees F than at refrigerator temperatures. Studies indicate it is best to keep mayonnaise at this cool room temperature for 48 to 72 hours before refrigerating it.

Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., are nutritionists in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dobbs also works with University Health Services.