Azaluna: blue-green eggs and ham?

The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine raises its own free-range eggs - and they really are free. The chickens are housed on the Veterinary School campus in a safe roost and are free to roam, scratch, and feed during the day. The chicken feed is free of antibiotics and hormones commonly used to stimulate growth or egg production. In addition, the chickens produce eggs of a distinctive bluish-green color. Dr. Seuss jokes aside, the unique color helps to contribute to the eggs' marketability and brand name of "Azaluna." The eggs are currently being test-marketed under the "Azuluna" brand at two Massachussetts supermarkets, Roche Brothers in Acton and Shaun and Gerry's in Westboro. They currently sell for $3/dozen. The Azuluna brand is in charge of selling the eggs, whose hens are descended from Araucana chickens, which originated in Chile. Dr. George Saperstein of the Cummings School said that the Azuluna brand came out of the Cummings School's project. "A consultant helped us develop the logo and the name," Saperstein said. "Tufts trademarked the brand." The Azuluna brand hopes to produce a series of livestock products that taste better because of the production methods. "We hypothesize that consumers will pay a premium price for these kinds of products which in general cost more to produce," Saperstein said. He also said that the Azuluna brand could not supply Tufts Dining Services because the brand has only a few hundred chickens, and the project is very costly. "In our model, we're trying to get producers to voluntarily agree to keep the chickens outside," Saperstein said. "If any producer does not uphold the free range, the others will gladly kick him out. It's self-enforcing for the sake of the brand," he said. "Our product is not meant as a replacement for what's on the market. It's meant as an alternative for consumers who can afford [it] because [the free-range eggs] truly taste better." Saperstein is hopeful for the future of the Azaluna brand. "We're hoping the next phase will be to find an entrepreneur who wants to license the brand, follow our protocol, and take over the business," Saperstein said.