2022 was a year that eggs were recognized for the numerous benefits they offer, despite the supply issues and increased prices the industry has faced this year. Eggs provide a reliable source of protein, vitamins and minerals, while sitting at an affordable price point. Additionally, they have been proven to help maintain eyesight, provide important amino acids and are versatile enough to be incorporated into breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In honor of 2022’s World Egg Day, some of the milestones that eggs and producers have achieved in the last 12 months were reviewed by Emily Metz, American Egg Board (AEB) President and CEO, and Chad Gregory, United Egg Producers (UEP) President and CEO, at the AEB and UEP 2022 Joint Annual Executive Conference.
- The United Nations Food Systems Summit formally recognized eggs as one of two “star ingredients” that promote good nutrition and health goals.
- Eggs were named the “restaurant darling of 2022” by food service consulting company Technomic in its 2022 Global Restaurant Trends Forecast, as restaurants are showcasing more eggs in all-day sandwiches.
- American food and entertainment magazine Bon Appétit declared 2022 the year of the fancy deviled egg.
- Cage-free eggs were included in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to help participants who reside in states with layer housing legislation better meet their nutritional needs.
- The AEB was recognized by President Biden during the 2022 White House Easter Egg Roll, making it the first time ever for a sitting president to mention any checkoff organization or group of farmers during the event, according to Metz.
- UEP successfully convinced the USDA’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to extend the indemnity period for hens from 75 weeks to 86 weeks due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), giving producers more time to obtain indemnity payments and recover from the country’s outbreak.
- As of October 12, 2022, industry donations totaled 108,100,000 eggs, according to the AEB.
World Egg Day is celebrated across the globe on the second Friday of October every year. To start 2022, the International Egg Commission launched a series in December 2021 that highlights eggs’ nutritional benefits. The series of articles and graphics titled ‘Cracking Egg Nutrition’ promotes why consumers should be eating eggs and the nutritional benefits they have.
