EGG-GATE: The American Egg Board Conspiracy Plot Thickens

Just last week, a series of emails obtained under the Freedom of Information Act exposed the American Egg Board for engaging in aggressive intimidation tactics to stifle the success of Hampton Creek’s plant-based egg products, including its popular Just Mayo.

In addition to sending threatening emails, American Egg Board CEO, Joanne Ivy, seems to have masterminded food giant Unilever’s lawsuit against Hampton Creek, which claimed that Just Mayo should not be called “mayonnaise since it doesn’t contain eggs.

But that’s just the beginning.

According to The Guardian, the American Egg Board also “targeted popular food bloggers, major publications and a celebrity chef as part of its sweeping effort to combat a perceived threat from an egg-replacement startup backed by some of Silicon Valley’s biggest names.

A possible breach of federal regulations, the American Egg Board went so far as to pay food bloggers up to $2,500 to write about the health benefits of eating eggs, with many bloggers copying the American Egg Board’s talking points word for word.

USDA regulations explicitly prohibit advertising that disparages another commodity. On Thursday, Hampton Creek founder, Josh Tetrick, called for a congressional inquiry.

These efforts “show the lengths to which a federally-appointed, industry-funded marketing group will go to squash a relatively small Silicon Valley startup, from enlisting a high-powered public relations firm to buying off unwitting bloggers, the article continues.

Public opinion about eggs is shifting, and for good reason; egg-laying hens are subjected to horrific abuses, including extreme confinement, mutilations without painkillers, and a ruthless slaughter. And companies like Hampton Creek are proving that you don’t need animals to continue enjoying your favorite foods.


You can take a stand for egg-laying hens and help hold the egg industry accountable for its actions by signing and sharing this petition now.

Click here for a list of delicious egg recipes without the eggs.