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Are eggs dairy?

We often get asked whether eggs are a dairy product. Well, eggs don't come from the mammary glands of any animal, so technically, they're not. Here's why.

Although most of us know eggs come from chickens, we've been asked a few times if eggs are dairy. 


Maybe it's because eggs are shelved in the dairy section of the supermarket. Or, because eggs are often grouped with cheese and milk in nutritional images. Like this one below. 

Milk Cheese Eggs

 
The confusion could also come from the use of similar terminology - dairy product and animal by-product. But, contrary to these common misconceptions, eggs are NOT a dairy product. 


While eggs are indeed produced by animals and therefore by definition an animal by-product, they are not a derivative of dairy products. 


A dairy product refers to a product made from the mammary gland (breast) of mammals like cows, goats and sheep, and the products made from their milk; cream, butter, cheese etc. 


At Kinnikinnick we have slowly been removing egg as an ingredient. We know have a variety, thirty-plus, of vegan, plant-based gluten-free products made without eggs. Our breads, buns, bagels, and cookies (except Montanas & Vanilla Wafers) are free from eggs. 

As our pizza crusts and cookie crumbs. The few products that do contain egg are muffins and donuts. Our baking mixes are technically vegan but they are best made with egg. You can substitute egg replacers in some of the recipes. Read more here. 


Please note that food labelling of GMO or not on the subject of eggs can be confusing. According to the American Egg Board, the industry group promoting egg producers, "According to USDA, eggs are not a genetically modified (GM), or bioengineered food. This includes shell eggs and eggs used for processed egg products. Only traditional breeding techniques are used to raise laying hens in the United States; neither chickens nor eggs are modified by genetic engineering. Even when a laying hen eats genetically engineered feed, any products unique to genetic engineering are destroyed by the hen’s digestive process."


Real Eggs American Egg Board

If eggs are labelled organic it means they are NOT allowed to be fed GM feed.  The USDA National Organic Program strictly prohibits GMO grains from being fed to livestock sold, represented or labeled as organic, including food products stemming from this livestock, such as eggs. Read more American Egg Board.


At Kinnikinnick, to make things very clear, we decided not to label products that use eggs as GMO free, although, legally this is allowed.