A Public Relations Proposal For The American

A Public Relations Proposal For The American Egg Board Essay, Research Paper A Public Relations Proposal for the American Egg Board, 1997 “AN EGG IS ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE” – OSCAR WILDE Eggs should be avoided because they are high in cholesterol. This is the biggest MYTH that has cracked the good reputation of the egg in the past years. In 1945, the number of eggs consumed per capita each year was 402. Then the news broke – scientists discovered a link between high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream and an increased risk of heart disease. Americans have cut down on their egg consumption fearing negative effects on their health. Fifty years later, in 1995, consumption dropped to 240 eggs per capita. The cracked reputation of the egg is now being patched up. New

research is reveals a positive future for the mistreated egg. Furthermore, the egg industry has experienced an increase in production in recent years. In 1995, 174.4 million cases of eggs (360 eggs/cartons in each case) were produced, and in 1997, the number rose to 183.2 million cases. The U.S. egg industry is a major contributor to the nation’s food supply. In 1996, the distribution into the marketplace of the 177.6 million eggs produced is as follows: +53.0% – purchased at retail +27.9% – further processed (used in the manufacturing of products such as cakes, pies, pasta, etc.) for food service, manufacturing, retail and export +17.4% – for food service use +1.7% – for export Cholesterol and its link to heart disease have been the biggest detriments to the egg’s

good name. Nutrition experts recommended a daily limit of 300 milligrams of cholesterol in order to maintain a low cholesterol level. A single egg yolk contains 200 milligrams of cholesterol thereby causing experts to suggest a 4-egg-a-week limit. Since that time, however, changes in expert opinion have come about. Recent research has shown that there are two types of cholesterol: Dietary cholesterol, the cholesterol consumed in foods and blood cholesterol, the cholesterol found in the bloodstream (also called serum cholesterol). Recent studies have concluded that the amount of dietary cholesterol has little effect on the level of blood cholesterol. The culprit is actually saturated fat, a substance that is not abundantly found in eggs. Blood cholesterol can be broken down into

two major parts: HDL or high-density lipoprotein and LDL, low-density lipoprotein. HDL, known as good cholesterol, helps move cholesterol back to the liver for removal from the bloodstream. LDL, referred to as the bad cholesterol, helps cholesterol stick to artery walls. Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol and LDL levels more than any other element in the diet. Eating foods like red meat, which are high in saturated fat, strongly affect the cholesterol levels in the blood. On the other hand, eating eggs, which contain The. HDL cholesterol, is less threatening, according to nutrition experts. Studies have shown that many people on a low-fat diet can eat one or two eggs a day without measurable changes in their blood cholesterol levels. The discovery of the differences between

the bad cholesterol (HDL) and good cholesterol (LDL) helps to end this delusion of the egg. Prevention of heart decease means strict monitoring of the bad cholesterol in the blood stream. Spreading the news of the dietary cholesterol (good cholesterol) present in the egg will encourage American’s to consume more eggs. In addition, based on data from the American Heart Association, there are no direct relationships between egg consumption and Coronary Vascular Disease (CVD) mortality in male or female populations. Evaluating the data resulted in some interesting comparisons. Weekly per capita egg consumption in France, the United States and England are 5.1, 4.5, and 3.3 eggs per week where as the CVD mortality rate per 100,000 per year is 250, 460 and 516 respectively. Japan