Normally I don't pay much attention to the words on the various brands of
egg cartons when I go to buy eggs. I've always assumed that all eggs are
created equal and so I just grab a dozen eggs and move on. However tonight I
looked a little closer and found that one brand (Eggland's Best) makes some
rather extraordinary claims:

* 190 mg of cholesterol compared to 215 mg in an ordinary egg
* 25 percent less saturated fat than an ordinary egg
* Omega 3 that is 3 times the amount in an ordinary egg
* 6 times more vitamin E than an ordinary egg
* 150% more Iodine than an ordinary egg

Eggland's Best eggs have been granted a U.S. Patent #5,246,717: "Eggs
Compatible with a Cholesterol Reducing Diet and Method of Producing the
Same".

From what I have seen so far there is no genetic engineering going on here;
it seems the eggheads at Eggland have made these changes/improvements to the
egg entirely via modifications to the hen's diet. The eggs are supposed to
be available now in 75% of US markets.

They have a website at http://www.eggland.com. Below is a news release from
the company website.

Of course I must ask the obvious question: are these eggs "paleo"?

THE RESULTS ARE IN!
EGGLAND'S BEST REDUCES AMOUNT OF CHOLESTEROL TO 190 MG
Strict Testing Results Prove Eggland's Best Is On The Mark With Its Product
Claims

Contact: Ellen Kaplan (301) 564-1648
Bart Slaugh, Ph.D. (610) 265-6500

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA, October 15, 1998- More than 14,000 tests performed
during the first six months of 1998 confirm that Eggland's Best has
successfully reduced the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat in its
eggs.

Data verified that one Eggland's Best egg contains 190 mg of cholesterol
compared to 215 mg in an ordinary egg, 25 percent less saturated fat and a
level of Omega 3 that is three times the amount in an ordinary egg.

One Eggland's Best egg contains at least six times more vitamin E than an
ordinary egg. This accounts for 25 percent of a person's daily requirement
of vitamin E. An Eggland's Best egg contains 40 percent of a person's daily
requirement of iodine compared to 15 percent in an ordinary egg.

Eggland's Best, developer of nutritionally superior quality, patented* egg,
credits the company's on-going research efforts to improve its feed and to
provide the best nutritionally superior egg for health-conscious consumers.

Eggland's Best hens are fed a strictly controlled, high quality all
vegetarian diet that contains no animal fat, no animal byproducts, and no
recycled and processed food. The feed contains only healthy grains, canola
oil and BioteneT, a unique all natural supplement which includes rice bran,
alfalfa meal, kelp and vitamin E.

This year, Eggland's Best expects to run more than 28,000 laboratory tests
to confirm that its eggs consistently meet specifications for cholesterol,
iodine, vitamin E, yolk color, shell quality and fat levels. Since 1996,
Eggland's Best will have conducted more than 78,000 tests on its eggs.

Bart T. Slaugh, Ph.D, director of quality assurance, said, "Eggland's Best
eggs are subjected to the most rigorous testing in the industry to assurance
conformance to the company's high quality standards. These results prove the
strength of Eggland's Best's commitment to provide consumers with the
highest quality, nutritionally superior egg. Consumers can be satisfied that
when they purchase Eggland's Best eggs that the company lives up to its
standards."

According to Dr. Slaugh, three independent laboratories review and certify
these finds. Eggland's Best regularly analyzes eggs procured at random from
supermarkets and producers. Every year Eggland's Best conducts independent
studies of its eggs picked at random from supermarkets in 50 cities. Feed
samples are tested weekly.

To ensure that consumers are buying Eggland's Best eggs, each egg is stamped
with the red "EB" seal and, the USDA shield is printed on the carton. Eggs
are inspected by the USDA and are held to Eggland's Best superior standards.

Eggland's Best is the only company with a nationally-branded whole egg
granted approval to carry exchange list verification on its packaging from
the American Diabetes and American Dietetic Associations. Consumers can
exchange one large Eggland's Best egg for one medium-fat or meat substitute.

More information about Eggland's Best is available by visiting the company's
website: www.eggland.com, or by calling the company's toll-free number,
(800) 922-3447 (EGGS).

(*The patent name: "Eggs Compatible with Cholesterol Reducing Diet and
Method of Producing the Same." U.S. Patent Number: 5,246,717)

-gts