Over the last 35 years, eggs became the visualicon of high cholesterol and coronary heart disease

(CHD). Today’s research illustrates all the incrediblebenefits of eggs – casting doubt on the misconstruedrelationship between eggs and cholesterol. Frompublications like Self and USA Today to televisioncoverage on the “Today Show” and the Food Network,your consumers are reading and seeing more positivecoverage about eggs and egg-related research thatillustrates the multitude of benefits eggs offer for everyone.

In fact, last year researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jerseyconducted an observational study of 9,734 people and found no increased risk for stroke, ischemicstroke or CHD when subjects ate six or more eggs per week. The researchers concluded that “thelack of relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular diseases may be attributed tolack of association between serum cholesterol and egg consumption.”

And surely, if eggs increased the risk of CHD, then countries with higher per capitaegg consumption would have higher rates of CHD. But in fact, the opposite is true. The countrieswith the highest per capita egg intakes are Japan, Spain, and France, and all have very lowrates of CHD mortality as compared to the United States. Excluding eggs, an affordable, nutrient-dense source of high-quality protein and a variety of essential nutrients, makes little sense.

Our current understanding of the relationship between diet and CHD has moved beyond thesimplistic view that dietary cholesterol equals blood cholesterol and has shifted toward anemphasis on saturated fats, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle as risk factors. Slowly but surely andwith an ever expanding body of scientific evidence, eggs are coming back to their rightful place inthe American diet. This wave of new research allows eggs back into heart-healthy diets.

eggstra! is a quarterly publication ofthe American Egg Board. Supermarketretailers and wholesalers can requesta free subscription to the newsletter at

www.aeb.org

Cindy McGarrigle, Editor

AEB’s MissionThe American Egg Board (AEB) is the UnitedStates egg producer’s link to consumersin communicating the value of Theincredible edible egg.™ Our mission isto increase consumer demand for eggs andegg products... to help you sell more eggs!

T H E R E TA I L E R N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E A M E R I C A N E G G B O A R D

FALL 2008 VOL 11, ISSUE 4

Inside...Inside...Higher Protein Breakfasts . . . . . . 2

AEB Brings Home the Gold. . . . . . 2

Social Networking . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Egg Has Its Own Day . . . . . . 3

Reaching Your Shoppers . . . . . . . 3

Consumer Trends . . . . . . . . . . . 4

You Can’t Beat Eggs! . . . . . . . . . 4

Eggs in the Media! . . . . . . . . . . 5

New Industry Website . . . . . . . . 5

Meaningful Nutrition . . . . . . . . . 5

Tips for Better Egg Sales . . . . . . . 6

an egg a day is

MORE THANOK!

THE RETAILER NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN EGG BOARD

Higher Protein Breakfast May Help Dieters Stay on TrackA new study published in the British Journal of

Nutrition reveals that when people ate high-qualityprotein foods from sources, including eggs and leanCanadian bacon for breakfast, they had a greater senseof sustained fullness throughout the day compared towhen more protein was eaten at lunch or dinner.

“There is a growing body of research whichsupports eating high-quality protein foods whendieting to maintain a sense of fullness,” said Wayne W. Campbell,PhD, study author and professor of Foods and Nutrition at PurdueUniversity, Lafayette, IN. “This study is particularly unique in thatit looked at the timing of protein intake and reveals that when youconsumer more protein may be a critical piece of the equation.”

This study adds to a growing body of research on thebenefits of eating high-quality protein for weight management,yet the authors of the study note that most Americans typically

consume a relatively small amount of protein at breakfast. Retailers have a real opportunity to encourage consumers to

increase protein intake at breakfast by sharing these easy tips:• Cook Once, Eat Twice: Use last night’s leftover vegetables along

with lean Canadian bacon and low-fat cheese as fillings for aneasy-to-prepare omelet.

• Breakfast on the Go: Add a variety of toppings already on-handto scrambled eggs, and spoon into a warm tortilla.

AEB Brings Home the Gold for its Marketing EggcellenceThe American Egg Board received the Golden Egg Award for Excellence

in Marketing at the 2008 International Egg Commission (IEC) Conference heldSeptember 14-18, in Shanghai, China. Countries presented their successfulmarketing programs to compete for the coveted award, which recognizesthe best national marketing and promotional campaign. Joanne Ivy, AEB’spresident and CEO, presented the award-winning marketing program andaccepted the award.

“I feel honored to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the UnitedStates,” says Ivy. “I think the award is very important to the egg industry,as it encourages associations to share ideas and best-practice marketingapproaches for continued success in promoting the benefits of eggs andultimately, increasing egg sales.”

Countries competing for the award presented a ten-minute visual presentation. Ivy’s presentation gave an overview of the U.S.economic climate, budget restraints, and other challenges the organization faced, which in turn helped illuminate its efforts throughout theyear. Ivy presented the overall strategy to define AEB’s focus on women, aged 25 to 54, with children living at home.

AEB developed and implemented a fully integrated approach to surround moms wherever they are – watching television, surfingthe Web or reading a magazine. However, home was just part of the strategy; since nearly one third of Americans eat breakfastaway from home, Quick-Service Restaurants (QSRs) were also a focus, along with retail channels. More than 600 million moreeggs are being sold in the foodservice channel than just two years ago, and sales in the egg category only decreased 1.8 percent insupermarkets – despite the highest egg prices in history.

The integrated campaign tactics included a strategic, branded entertainment partnership with the “Rachael Ray Show;” newprint advertisements, focused heavily on the industry’s ‘Incredible!’ message; and a viral application to create buzz about a contestto promote the ease of cooking with eggs. AEB’s integrated program generated positive results across the board – reaching moms,surrounding them with the ‘Incredible!’ message, and surpassing more than 1 billion consumer impressions.

2

Research reveals eating more protein in the morning helps dieters retain fullness throughout the day

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THE RETAILER NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN EGG BOARD

AEB’s integrated advertisingcampaign for The incredible edible egg™brand continues to make an “incredible”impression on AEB’s primary targetaudience – moms with kids – via avariety of media outlets, includingnational television, radio, magazines,the Internet and outdoor billboardsand truck signage. The nutrition-basedmessages emphasize eggs’ unique pointof difference: all-natural, non-processedand high-quality protein. Women aged25 - 54 with kids living at home aretargeted because they are the primaryshopper, food decision maker, andmeal preparer for the household.

AEB Surrounds Your Shoppers through TV, Radio, Online, and Print

It’s true – the egg has its own day! Every year, thesecond Friday in October is World Egg Day. AEB’s ownHoward Helmer kicked off this year’s World EggDay celebration with a satellite media tour –speaking with 15 news stations from citiesacross the country, demonstrating omelets, anddiscussing eggs’ affordability, versatility, andnutritional benefits. Helmer also appeared onhundreds of TV stations alongside the famous Mr. Food.

To reach moms directly and create viral momentum,

AEB created a “World Egg Day Decorator” e-card application,where consumers could decorate an egg and e-mail

it to family and friends. In addition, AEB partneredwith 12 popular mom bloggers, who made theirown favorite egg recipes with their children

and then posted photos, videos, recipes andexperiences on the blogs. AEB also distributed an online media press kit

that included World Egg Day information andrecipes for meals that cost well under $2 per serving.

Morning, Cable,SyndicatedTelevision

NationalandLocalRadio

Billboards,TruckSignage

Banner Ads,New Consumer-focused website,blogs, YouTube

Egg Cartons

Women’sService,Parenting,Health, Shelter,LifestyleMagazines

AEB Reaches Consumers by Tapping into New Social Networking Site

The Incredible edible EGG has its own DAY!

Social networking sites are one of the hottest trends and most trafficked places on the Web,allowing consumers to connect and interact with other people with common interests. The“Breakfast Challenge” launched on www.fromdatestodiapers.com, a popular destination for momsonline, in early October. Mommy-blogger Christine Young, a mother of six children under 7 years ofage, is challenging herself and her fellow mommy bloggers to eat an egg breakfast everyday for onemonth. Her blog also offers the perfect outlet to increase AEB’s online conversation about eggs.

Throughout the challenge, Young will blog about how her mental and physical energy levelsare affected during the day by eating a good breakfast. She will also post about egg preparationtips, kitchen time savers and food shopping experiences, including shopping on a budget.

THE RETAILER NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN EGG BOARD

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Today, everyone needs to stretch the food budget further.To provide an affordable source of high-quality protein,look no further than The incredible edible egg!™.

Eggs are:NUTRIENT-DENSE• Good source of all-natural, high-quality protein • Provide lots of vitamins and minerals• Contain 70 calories per large egg

CONVENIENT• A single-serving snack• Portable – stored in its own container• Quick and easy to prepare

VERSATILE• Serve all day – not just at breakfast• Try scrambled, fried, hard-cooked• Frittatas, omelets, and more

FILLING• Stay full longer• Help reduce total daily caloric intake• Can contribute to maintaining a healthy weight

ECONOMICAL• Under 20 cents per serving• Affordable source of high-quality protein• Nutrient-dense at relatively low price

You Can’t Beat Eggs! convenient

filling

economical

nutrient-dense

versatile

Consumer Trends Worth Reading AboutA June 2008 survey of nearly 50,000 U.S. consumers shows that moreconsumers are eating out less (52 percent) and staying home moreoften (51 percent):• The Wall Street Journal reports that this increase in the number of

at-home cooking enthusiasts has prompted a flurry of magazines and websites devoted to cooking and recipe swapping.

• Hearst is getting ready to launch a new Food Network Magazine. • Rodale is getting ready to add a new magazine title called Cook!

A nationwide survey by the Toronto-based analytics firm Precima Inc.shows that new shopping behaviors are here to stay:• 84% of consumers will keep looking for specials in store flyers.• 80% said they plan to use coupons as much as possible.

A new report from the Promotion Marketing Associa-tion shows that coupon usage is seeing a resurgence:• 89% of the overall population report that they use

coupons when shopping.• 97% of primary shopper report that they use coupons

at supermarkets.• Coupon users report an average of 7% savings on

their grocery bill with coupons.

USA TODAY asked four dieticians who blog at dietchallenge.usatoday.com to come upwith creative, healthful ways to feed a family of four for under $10. While each ofthem shared their favorite frugal menu, all four dieticians agreed that “eggs –at about 15 to 18 cents each – are a great bargain.”

Martha Stewart appeared on The Today Show, plugging hernew book, Martha Stewart’s Cooking School Cookbook. The segmentfocused entirely on the section of the book devoted to eggs, with hostMatt Lauer commenting on the egg, stating “it may be the most versatilefood in your kitchen.”

WebMD.com recently included eggs in its list of the “Top 10 brain foods forchildren,” noting that in addition to being a “great protein source,” eggs containcholine that helps memory development.

Parade, the country’s most widely-read magazine, also featured the mental energybenefits of eggs in an article called “Goods to Make Kids Smart.”

The September issue of Prevention discusses choline, calling it “the anti-breast cancer vitamin.”The magazine recommends eggs as a good source of this essential nutrient.

The editor of Men’s Health David Zinczenko told the audience of The Today Show thateggs are “one of the healthiest foods on the planet.”

Eggs in the Media!

AEB has launched its newly revised industry website, www.aeb.org. The sitehas a fresh, new look that allows audiences such as health and foodserviceprofessionals, retailers, food manufacturers, educators and media easyaccess to key information on specific areas of the industry. The retail areaincludes sections on:

• Today’s Egg Consumer • Maximizing Egg Category Sales• Category Egg-O-Nomics • Nutrition Facts• Promotion Strategies • One Dozen Best Retail Practices

Newly Revised Industry Website

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THE RETAILER NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN EGG BOARD

A new survey funded by the Egg Nutrition Center confirms that consumers want meaningfulnutrition advice. The study shows that two-thirds of Americans think nutrition advice can beconfusing and hard to understand. Other key findings from the survey indicate:• 23% say they follow dietary advice when making daily food decisions.• 17% apply the nutrition advice they have been told over the years.• 83% want to know the top five or six most important dietary recommendations

that they should follow.

Consumers Want Meaningful Nutrition Advice

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1. Keep egg case fully stocked – eggs turn exceptionally fast –every 3.5 days. Increase egg case space to protectin-stock positions and to generate higher sales and profits.

2. Promote eggs on a regular basis to drive new businessand reach more customers. Customers who buy eggs on salewill use more eggs!

3. Make prices easy to find on the shelf rail and overhead.Highly visible price signs encourage shoppers to purchase eggs.

4. Offer information at the point-of-sale.Consumers want cooking ideas and recipes for quick,economical, and nutritious foods.

Four Tips for Better Egg Sales