Introduction:

At a global level, consumer concern is growing for animal welfare, including hen housing in the production of eggs.

Objectives:

To assess the effect of hen housing conditions on some egg characteristics.

Methods: The study was done in Costa Rica. We made a standard fatty acid profile analysis of 30 eggs, randomly selected from each housing system. We also surveyed 777 habitual egg consumers about their purchase and consumption habits, and applied a sensory test to 108 panelists.

Results:

The polyunsaturated fatty acids / saturated fatty acids ratios were 0.58, 0.55 and 0.51 for the free-range, free cage and cage system, respectively. In the sensory panel, 40 % of the panelists were grouped for their greater general liking towards the sample, with preference for the free-range eggs. Slightly over half (55 %) of the sampled population was unaware of the egg production systems. Conclusion: The acid ratio of these Costa Rican eggs is labeled as “healthy food” and nearly half of the surveyed population is unaware of the egg production systems.