April 20, 2005 Editor: Joanne C. Ivy

In This Issue:

Gulf Food Expo Attracts Buyers
Mexico -- a Potential Processed Eggs Market
ENORMOUS Egg Opportunity With Burger King
Millions Read about Health Benefits of Eggs
AEB to Exhibit at FMI
Tasty Tidbits of Consumer Education

First Lady Presented With Commemorative Easter Egg
AEB Chairman Beth Schnell and President Lou Raffel (not pictured) presented the industry’s commemorative Easter Egg to Mrs. Bush during a special celebration on April 1. The Easter Egg presentation is a 28-year tradition that started the Easter after the American Egg Board opened its doors in 1976. This year’s egg was decorated in the First Lady’s favorite color, blue. An oval cutout surrounded by cut lattice work, blue crystals, and miniature silk pansies adorns the front of the egg. Inside, a tiny Easter Bunny sits on the grass surrounded by delicate decorated Easter eggs. Additional lattice work framed by pansies forms the back of the egg. Blue crystals decorate each petal. The hand-crafted stand with a finial of blue crystal is attached to a Corian base. Stewart Poulson, an artist from the state of Washington, was chosen to design the 2005 Commemorative Egg. In 2004, Poulson was selected to create the Washington egg for the White House Decorated Egg Display.

 AEB also coordinated a display of 51 eggs, one for each state plus the District of Columbia, which is housed in the White House Visitor Center. Each egg represents its state in some significant manner. The decorated eggs feature a wide variety of techniques from pysanky to acrylics to beading and - showcased all together - make a stunning display. Thirty-one artists along with their families gathered at the opening of the display. After photos with the First Lady, AEB coordinated a group lunch followed by a tour of the White House. In addition, the American Egg Board takes an active role in the White House Easter Egg Roll by providing “real dyed eggs” for the events, hats and aprons for the volunteers, and hand-painted, egg-shaped wooden gift boxes for the sponsors.
 
With all the positive publicity about eggs, people just keep wanting more. Now Burger King is in on the action in a big way. With their latest new product launch, Burger King is giving its customers exactly what they want… a hugely delicious Enormous Omelet.

This month, Burger King becomes the first Quick Service chain to offer a sandwich with two egg patties on their breakfast menu. The Enormous Omelet Sandwich is an indulgent eating experience that promises to be a top-seller at Miami-based Burger King. The sandwich features a toasted, split-top bun with two naturally fluffy egg patties, two slices of American cheese, three crispy slices of bacon, and a sizzling sausage patty.

American Egg Board had a strong role in supporting the item at Burger King. Always a proponent of adding an extra egg versus adding more cheese or meats, AEB had been in discussions with Burger King for the past 18 months. The Enormous Omelet, which added that extra egg, tested extremely well in initial markets leading to a national launch along with a new Western Omelet Croissanwich, which features an egg patty folded omelet-style. These products demonstrate that Burger King’s audience, primarily younger men, want a hearty breakfast which includes eggs.

Burger King is supporting the new sandwiches with an Enormous promotion featuring network TV, radio, and in-store advertising. AEB worked with Burger King to build awareness and drive demand via on-air promotions and publicity through popular DJs across the country. The DJs are encouraged to focus on the egg component of the sandwich. The copy reads, ”Burger King’s new Enormous Omelet Sandwich starts with what else but two enormously great-tasting eggs. Eggs give you the highest quality protein around. They’ll fill you up and help you stay at the top of your game. It’s a great way to start your day. That’s why they’re known as The incredible edible egg™.”

The second part of the promotion consists of on-air radio contests. Each station received Daily Prize Packs that included a DVD player and a Camcorder from Burger King as well as “Think Fast. Think Eggs.” aprons courtesy of AEB.

Burger King is the second largest burger chain in the country with more than 11,000 units. The company, which has always served breakfast and encourages people to “Wake Up With The King™,” is the latest chain to introduce a highly-publicized, highly-successful new egg menu item. The Enormous Omelet Sandwich comes on the heels of McDonald’s McGriddles, Hardee’s Omelet Bowls, and Denny’s Scrambles.

Burger King sees eggnormous opportunity for increased sales and traffic with the Enormous Omelet. With the projected success of Burger King’s newest item, expect to see even more national chains scrambling for innovative breakfast ideas.

 
Tasty Tidbits ....

EGGSpress Yourself!, the new CD-ROM education kit for 4th- through 6th-grade, is being readied for its second mailing. The revised CD-ROM with updated links and sample print materials will be mailed in late April/early May. Adding to the 24,218 kits mailed to schools in 2004, another 27,447 will go out nationwide this year to schools with enrollments of 250+ students, for a total reach of 51,665 classroom teachers.

“Fast and Easy: V-egg-ie Good Family Meals,” AEB’s color page release for National Egg Month, has been scheduled for print by 315 food editors in 47 states. The newspapers have a combined circulation of over 15 million, and if purchased, the space would have cost about $1.7 million. Beyond promoting eggs for quick-preparation, any-time-of-day meals, the “Fast and Easy” page also illustrates how easily nutritious eggs can be combined

with the increased number of vegetable servings recommended by the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. And, as USDA announces its replacements for the Food Guide Pyramid, AEB’s latest black-and-white release for daily and weekly papers positions eggs as a good complement for veggie-oriented meals. Under the title, “V-egg-ie Good for You,” the black and white release will soon be distributed to over 10,000 papers across the country.

Gulf Food Expo Draws Buyers to Dubai

The Middle East market is growing by leaps and bounds for U.S. eggs and egg products. In just four years, the market for processed eggs went from no Hotel and Restaurant (HRI) users to nearly 100 users. Today the market is valued at $7 million for U.S. egg exports.

More than 17,000 buyers from all across the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan, Russia, and CIS countries (formerly Soviet Union countries) flocked to the International Trade Center in Dubai, U.A.E., for the Gulf Food Show in February. This year, Gulf Food was 70% bigger than ever before. It has become the region’s biggest trade exhibition for the foodservice and hospitality sector. The show hosted more than 2,000 participating companies from 53 countries.

USAPEEC Middle East coordinated a booth on behalf of AEB for the 3rd consecutive year of the show. The booth was manned by Arab Marketing Finance, Inc. (AMFI), USAPEEC’s consultants in the Middle East, and Rufino Dee, Director of Marketing and Sales, Asia and Europe, for Michael Foods. Rufino had successful face-to-face meetings with several traders at the AEB booth, generating many new trade leads. All U.S. further processors were invited to participate in the show.

The show resulted in 28 reportable trade leads and contacts. These came mostly from import companies and traders in several countries, mainly Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain. The interest in U.S. shell eggs and egg products, centered on specifically frozen and dried eggs (whole eggs, whites, and yolks). The Gulf Food Expo generated significant business for U.S. poultry and egg products.

Millions Read About the Eggstraordinary
Health Benefits of Eggs

In April, to celebrate the arrival of spring and Easter and Passover traditions, journalists focused their attention on eggs and touted the nutritional benefits of nature’s perfect food. More than 13 million consumers were reached in the issues of First for Women, Food & Wine, Let’s Live, and Shape magazines. Within these fantastic articles, consumers were informed that eating eggs promotes good eye health, supplies the body with numerous vitamins and nutrients, and may play a role in weight loss. Below are highlights from some of the recent eggceptional national news coverage about eggs:

First for Women: April 2005 “Eating eggs regularly may help speed fat burn, according to Donald K. Layman, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.”

Food & Wine: April 2005 “One large egg provides more than 12 percent of the recommended daily intake of protein, with only 74 calories and 1.5 grams of saturated fat. Yolks supply lots of vitamins and B12, as well as iron and folate.”

Let’s Live: April 2005 “Eating eggs for breakfast may help you to lose fat, because eggs are a rich source of the amino acid leucine, which aids in maintaining lean muscle mass.”

Shape: April 2005 Eggs are “…high in protein and rich in the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin (both found in the yolk), which protect the eye against age-related macular degeneration. But best of all, a medium egg has only 70 calories and 6 grams of protein. So put aside your egg phobia and enjoy this perfectly packaged, nutrient-dense food.”

U.S. Egg Companies Eye Mexico as a
Processed Eggs Market

With Mexican interest in importing U.S. processed egg products increasing, last February, USAPEEC’s Mexico staff coordinated visits between U.S. processor representatives and prospective importers, according to USAPEEC Mexico Director José Luis Cruz. Cruz and his staff set up several meetings for representatives of four U.S. companies with bakeries, bakery suppliers, manufacturers of pre-mixes, food service operators, and leading makers of mayonnaise and pasta. Other products, such as liquid eggs, face stiff price competition from locally produced goods.

During a series of AEB-funded seminars and demonstration projects over the last two years, USAPEEC has developed a data base of nearly 30 major local companies that use processed eggs, including current importers and companies that have shown strong interest in U.S. egg products.

Bimbo, Mexico’s largest bakery and one of the biggest in Latin America, has requested that USAPEEC facilitate contacts with U.S. suppliers. The company is interested in sourcing products for a variety of applications. Local mayonnaise producers and other industrial users have also expressed interest in U.S. egg products.

The HRI sector has asked USAPEEC to set up seminars on the advantages of egg products for the foodservice sector. Dates of the seminars, to be conducted with the National Chamber of Restaurants and Bakeries, will be the week of May 2. For information on the Mexican promotions, contact Jennifer Geck at jgeck@usapeec.org.

AEB exhibits at major Retailers Show

Once again, AEB will be an exhibitor (booth #958) at the Food Marketing Institute show at Chicago’s McCormick Place on May 1-3, 2005. AEB will provide the latest egg category research, marketing support materials, and other information that can help retailers build their egg category to increase sales and profits.

The newly-revised Promoting the Case for Eggs -- Second Edition will be available. This second edition contains highlights from the original study as well as some new information about how eggs can drive sales throughout the entire store. Virtually no other product category rivals a successful egg promotion for generating as much incremental sales for so little investment.

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