Calling eggs ‘healthy’ excites heated debate

Press, 24 September 1988, Page 8

Calling eggs ‘healthy’ excites heated debate

By

SARAH SANDS

in Auckland Whether or not eggs should be included on a National Heart Foundation list of health foods was a heated topic for debate at a seminar on heart disease in Auckland yesterday. As about 25 bemused journalists looked on, an epidemiologist from the Auckland Medical School challenged foundation representatives about cartons of eggs being approved to bear a special health-food sticker during Heart Food Festival next week. Dr Rod Jackson said that one egg contained

250 to 350 milligrams of cholesterol, equal to the daily recommended allowance for an adult.

According to the Food Festival information in the egg carton, one egg a day could be included in a healthy diet. But this was not true, said Dr Jackson. Any more than three eggs a week could increase the cholesterol intake to more than the recommended level. The national activities co-ordinator of the Heart Foundation, Mr Lee Schoushkoff, said there had been a lot of discussion about whether eggs should be included as a

health food. The foundation had given permission for egg producers to use a special festival sticker as long as they noted that the “egg a day” included eggs in baking and processed foods, he said. More than 500 foods had been accepted by the festival committee using criteria based on the national nutrition guidelines, said Mr Shoushkoff. Some compromises had had to be made because this was the first year the festival had been run, he said.

But Dr Jackson accused the foundation of giving consumers a confused

message. “Consumers will look at the logo and think it’s O.K. to eat eggs every day — the bottom line is that eggs have been approved as a heart food. We’re giving an inconsistent message.” Mr Schoushkoff said that an evaluation would be made at the end of April when the six-month trial for the stickers expired. Those with constructive criticisms could put forward their arguments then.

“If it’s found in April that your argument (against eggs) is stronger then the logo will be withdrawn ”