Why did the chicken cross the road?
To show the possum how it’s done.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Moving on to the meat of this post: What it takes to develop a better egg. The best egg. The Eggland’s Best egg.

Mr. EB has become part of the Petersen family!

You’ve heard me tout the egg-straordinary taste and health benefits of EBs for months. Some of you have even approached me at events, telling me you tried them, declaring “Yes, they are the best!” 

I remember the night I completed the “application” for Eggland’s Best CEO. The Pennsylvania-based company was searching for its first honorary Chief Egg Officer. I was already partial to Eggland’s Best eggs and knew their appeal was more than shell-deep.

I started researching the company. Isn’t that what any good CEO candidate does?

Mr. Charlie Lanktree, the company’s actual CEO, as in Chief Executive Officer, made that easy. Google his name and you find out how much progress he’s made in the specialty egg business since becoming top rooster in 1996. He actually left his comfortable, secure job as a high-level exec with a national company six years earlier to help launch this new one from scratch.

My oldest daughter, Serina, loves her EBs scrambled.

Eggs were getting a bad nutritional rap, and undeservedly so. The EB team hatched a plan to put eggs back in the “healthy food” spotlight where they belonged. It worked! This article in Forbes magazine credits Lanktree and the EB team for “rejuvenating an entire industry…” and eventually claiming 80 percent of the specialty egg market.

Just last week, Eggland’s Best was featured in a Wall Street Journal article, The Hunt for the Perfect Egg. EB knew the key to a better egg was in the feed. By developing a healthier, vegetarian, all-natural feed, the company created a product that was much better for you and me than ordinary eggs.

Health benefits include:

• 10 times more vitamin E
• Four times more vitamin D
• Three times more vitamin B12
• 38 percent more lutein
• 25 percent less saturated fat
• Only 175 milligrams cholesterol

The WSJ noted that the race is on to pack eggs with enough calcium so each serving provides 10 percent of the recommended daily value. That would allow Eggland’s Best to print “a good source of calcium” on their cartons. Serious industry bragging rights.

Also last week, Women’s Health recognized EB’s Hard-Cooked Peeled Eggs as a “best recovery food.” Among other nutritional kudos, the article highlighted the product’s lean protein.

Sophia likes how EB it is to crack these perfectly-shelled gems.

In the meantime, the CEO contest is winding down. Next month, Eggland’s Best will announce the winner. Thanks to all of you how have taken the EB journey with me. You can continue to cast your vote through Sunday, Nov. 17.

The winner gets $5000 and a year’s worth of EB eggs. The two runners-up get $500 and six months worth of eggs.

As a family that eats EBs for breakfast and dinner, we could definitely use the eggs. But let’s face it, the “paycheck” would be really nice, too.

I’ll be walking on eggshells until the winner’s announced. But when the contest is over, don’t expect me to fly the coop.

The Petersens will still be eating EBs.