With my tenure as Chairman of the American Egg Board (AEB) ending in March, I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on what your AEB has accomplished for you.

We have consistently reported outstanding results in this letter every year, without fail. And 2019 was no exception. In a year of challenges, the AEB provided a counterbalance—driving demand for eggs and egg products to the highest levels we’ve seen in more than 50 years.

We saw year-over-year growth in demand for eggs across retail, manufacturing and foodservice; more eggs in schools; opportunities created in exports; demand-driving advancements in egg nutrition science… The AEB’s crucial role in our industry and the tremendous value of its programs could not be clearer.

So I’d like to thank the AEB’s President & CEO, Anne Alonzo, for her vision and leadership—manifest in our enduring success—and her leadership team: Consumer Marketing VP Sofia Therios; ENC Executive Director Mickey Rubin and, not least, SVP Market Development John Howeth. We wish John our very best during his transition to retirement after decades of stellar service. I also want to thank the AEB’s staff of talented and dedicated professionals.

As we look to the year ahead, I’m comforted in knowing that the creativity of our Consumer Marketing team, the diligence of the Market Development group, and our Egg Nutrition Center, the science cornerstone that drives our message, are in good hands.

It’s been my honor to serve as your Chairman.

Jeff Hardin
Chairman
The American Egg Board

AEB Drove Category Growth in 2019

Creating new consumption occasions

The AEB’s ‘Dinner Eggs’ campaign exploited the untapped opportunity to increase demand for eggs by expanding into new meal occasions, and introduced a delightfully new kind of egg meant specifically for dinner. During the campaign launch window, retail egg volume — the best way to measure consumer demand — increased 4.5% in equalized dozens versus the same period the prior year.

Advancing new product benefits

The AEB’s nutritional research group, the Egg Nutrition Center, has generated tremendous interest among health professionals and media around choline and lutein — nutrients plentiful in eggs that have been shown to support cognition. As a result, the egg is now positioned as a brain food.

Setting a bar for authenticity

The AEB last year introduced ‘Made with REAL Eggs’ seals and certification programs for manufacturers and foodservice. On the heels of successful pilots with 7-Eleven and White Castle, the new seals are formally launching in Q1 2020, providing a benefit to products and menus carrying the seal, backed by the AEB’s consumer research.