Controversy is growing after it became known that the final digit of the egg shell code on a product sold by TV personality Lee Kyung-sil as "premium eggs" is 4. Eggs with a final digit of 4 on the shell code are typically laid by hens raised in narrow cages and are of ordinary quality.
Recently, TV personality Cho Hye-ryeon posted a photo of the product Lee Kyung-sil sells on her social network (SNS), writing, "Lee Kyung-sil's XX eggs are truly the queen of eggs. They are so delicious," and "Highly, highly recommend—be sure to try XX eggs at least once."
However, controversy broke out when it was revealed that the final digit of the egg shell code on the eggs in the photo is 4. The SNS post in question has since been deleted.
All eggs distributed in Korea are stamped with a 10-digit shell code. The last digit of the shell code indicates the hen's rearing environment. 1 means free-range (animal-welfare fertilized eggs), 2 means indoor aviary, 3 means enriched cages (henhouses), and 4 means eggs produced by hens raised in conventional cages.
The space occupied by a single hen that lays 4-code eggs is about 0.05㎡, which is smaller than a sheet of A4 paper. Hens that lay 4-code eggs are known to spend their entire lives laying eggs in cramped cages until they die.
The issue is that the eggs Lee Kyung-sil sells cost 15,000 won for 30, which is a similar level to the online price of high-quality eggs with a final shell code digit of 1.
The egg brand at the center of the controversy is a product from Freshtige, whose CEO is Lee Kyung-sil's son, Son Bo-seung. Freshtige posted an explanation titled "Thanks to 4-code eggs" on its online purchase page, saying, "Egg producers should respect one another regardless of shell codes," and, "Farms these days are upgraded across the board, so it is not a situation where we have to worry about pesticide detection as in the past."
It continued, "The price of animal-welfare eggs is merely an expense for environment and respect for animals, not a difference in quality," adding, "If all farms adopt animal welfare, eggs could be 3,000 won. This is why 4-code eggs are needed in the market, and the purchase standard should be quality, not the shell code."
It also explained, "We feed hens various medicinal ingredients such as turmeric and cordyceps, and each egg actually contains 2 mg or more of cordycepin, the active component of cordyceps," and "Because we are not feeding tiny amounts of good ingredients but feeding them properly, production costs are increasing significantly."