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.