On August 11th Dr. Mickey Rubin, Executive Director of the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) presented comments on the Final Report of the USDA Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

He stated:-

“Significantly, the Committee highlighted science supporting eggs as a FUNDAMENTAL first food for infants and toddlers. Eggs provide several nutrients noted as important during this time of rapid brain development, including high-quality protein, choline, and iodine. The Committee’s thorough review of the science recognized eggs’ role in providing these critical nutrients, including eggs in recommendations from the very moment infants are ready for solid foods.

While choline is under-consumed by most Americans, the Committee noted that this poses special challenges for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. A recent survey commissioned by ENC showed low levels of awareness of choline, among both new and expecting mothers and the health professionals who care for them. Over 70 percent of these moms and over 40 percent of OBGYN’s and pediatricians were unfamiliar with choline. With less than 10% of pregnant women meeting the Adequate Intake, this lack of knowledge represents a barrier to adequate choline consumption. These data suggest that the recommendations for choline within the Report must be amplified with education and outreach.

Related, the Report highlighted iodine as a nutrient of public health concern for pregnant women, and as a nutrient important for infant brain development. While the Report lists several foods that contain iodine, eggs - which contain 20% of the daily value – were not listed as a food to help close this nutrient gap.

As an excellent source of BOTH choline and iodine, new and expecting moms would benefit greatly from education and outreach on including eggs in their diets to achieve recommendations and support brain development.

The Report also recommended early introduction of eggs to reduce the risk of egg allergy. This conclusion aligns with previous recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Given older, contradictory guidance to AVOID early introduction of allergens, it will be especially important to provide clear guidance and education on this new recommendation.

The Report recognized that eggs can help Americans move towards healthier diet patterns and meet nutrient needs at ALL ages. In children, the Committee identified the diet quality benefits if energy were to be redistributed from added sugars to the Protein group – highlighting eggs as a preferred nutrient- dense option. In pre-teens and adolescents – particularly girls – eggs were encouraged for their protein and choline content. Older adults were noted for poor nutritional status related to protein and vitamin B12, two nutrients for which eggs provide greater than 10% of the daily value. Eggs also were identified as one of the few natural food sources of vitamin D, a nutrient of public health concern for all Americans.

This Report represents a tremendous step forward in helping Americans build healthy diets at every age. Egg Nutrition Center stands ready to be a partner in educating the public about the Dietary Guidelines and how eggs, as a nutrient-dense food, contribute to health and wellbeing at every age and life stage in a variety of ways”.