Buzz
Eggs share several traits with dairy products like milk, butter, and cheese: they’re often white (and yellow), come from farms, and are typically stored in the grocery store’s dairy section. With these similarities, it's easy to see why people might think eggs are dairy. But is that really the case?
What does ‘dairy’ mean?
No, eggs are not classified as dairy. The precise meaning of dairy can vary depending on the context. Generally, it refers to any product made from the milk of domesticated animals (including the milk itself). This includes cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream, and similar items. The USDA has its own guidelines based on nutritional content, where fortified soy milk is considered dairy due to its comparable levels of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin A to cow's milk, as per the USDA. However, the USDA does not classify foods like cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and cream as dairy due to their high fat content and low calcium levels.
Eggs don’t really belong in either category. They aren’t made from milk; the eggs we consume are unfertilized eggs from chickens (or other birds). They also aren’t nutritionally similar to milk since they’re primarily protein. While eggs come from domesticated birds, the USDA classifies them as poultry products. But because the term poultry typically refers to the meat of domesticated fowl—and eggs aren’t meat—this classification isn’t universally agreed upon. As Mickey Rubin, executive director of the American Egg Board’s Egg Nutrition Center, explained to TODAY.com, “Eggs are neither dairy nor poultry; eggs are … eggs.” The USDA seems to recognize the ambiguity by labeling the relevant section on its website “Poultry & Eggs,” rather than simply listing eggs under poultry.
That being said, it’s more accurate to categorize eggs as a poultry product than a dairy product since they come from domesticated fowl and have no connection to milk.
Why are eggs placed in the dairy section?
As Parade clarifies, eggs may have ended up in the dairy aisle because they must be refrigerated under strict food safety guidelines (the USDA recommends 40°F or lower). It makes sense for grocery stores to place eggs with other refrigerated items, many of which are dairy products. Additionally, it used to be more common for farms to sell milk and eggs together to grocery stores. Plus, both are essential staples in our kitchens. As Rubin succinctly put it to Parade, “It is likely that eggs are frequently grouped adjacent to dairy products in the refrigerated case at the grocery store for convenience, as these products are all considered household staples and require refrigeration.”
