United Egg Producers
Encyclopedia
United Egg Producers is an agricultural cooperative in the Midwestern United States
which represents the interests of regional egg
producers.
, developing a presence in Washington, D.C.
, and supporting strong industry promotion efforts.
The group is not to be confused with the American Egg Board
, which focuses on promoting egg consumption among the public, and is famous for their marketing slogan
, "The Incredible, Edible Egg
." The UEP was instrumental in the American Egg Board's creation.
after the animal rights
group Mercy for Animals
sent letters of protest to the fifty largest grocers in the US demanding they include a label on egg carton
s that says, "Warning: Male chicks are ground-up alive by the egg industry." The UEP called the campaign "almost a joke," and said that the group's ultimate aim was to stop egg consumption altogether.
To coincide with the letter campaign, Mercy For Animals released a video showing male chicks being killed on the production line of an Iowa
hatchery by being fed, alive, into a grinder. The hatchery claimed that the procedure, known in the industry as instantaneous euthanasia was in line with guidelines set up by the UEP.
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
which represents the interests of regional egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
producers.
History
The group was formed in 1968 as an umbrella organization encompassing five regional egg cooperatives. According to the association's web site, the initial concerns of those who formed UEP were: price discovery, production and marketing information, unified industry leadership, establishing a strong relationship with the United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
, developing a presence in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and supporting strong industry promotion efforts.
The group is not to be confused with the American Egg Board
American Egg Board
The American Egg Board is a United States marketing board, which focuses on marketing and promotion of eggs for human consumption.The AEB is best known for its long-running slogan, "The Incredible, Edible Egg," created by the advertising agency Campbell Mithun.The board is a checkoff organization,...
, which focuses on promoting egg consumption among the public, and is famous for their marketing slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
, "The Incredible, Edible Egg
The Incredible, Edible Egg
"The Incredible, Edible Egg" is a well-known marketing slogan for the American Egg Board.It was created in 1977 by the advertising agency Campbell Mithun.-External links:*...
." The UEP was instrumental in the American Egg Board's creation.
Response to letter writing campaign
A spokesperson for the UEP was asked to comment by the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
after the animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
group Mercy for Animals
Mercy for Animals
Mercy for Animals is an animal rights group based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in October 1999, it is a nonprofit, tax exempt, 501 organization with more than 25,000 members. Nathan Runkle is the group's executive director and founder...
sent letters of protest to the fifty largest grocers in the US demanding they include a label on egg carton
Egg carton
An egg carton is a carton designed for carrying and transporting whole eggs. These cartons have a dimpled form in which each dimple accommodates an individual egg and isolates that egg from eggs in adjacent dimples...
s that says, "Warning: Male chicks are ground-up alive by the egg industry." The UEP called the campaign "almost a joke," and said that the group's ultimate aim was to stop egg consumption altogether.
To coincide with the letter campaign, Mercy For Animals released a video showing male chicks being killed on the production line of an Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
hatchery by being fed, alive, into a grinder. The hatchery claimed that the procedure, known in the industry as instantaneous euthanasia was in line with guidelines set up by the UEP.