ALPHARETTA, Ga., April 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the economy makes a sluggish recovery, American families continue to find themselves struggling with food insecurity.  According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 50 million Americans, or one in six, live in food insecure households, including 17 million children.  In response to the need, America's egg farmers are donating more than 11 million eggs this Easter season to food banks across the nation as part of its fourth year working with Feeding America to supply fresh eggs to the communities they serve.

Feeding America provides nutritious food for 5.7 million Americans every week and fresh eggs are an especially prized item due to their high protein content and nutrition.  The latest data from USDA shows this donation is delivering even more nutrition than originally thought.  After a recent review of the nutrient composition of standard large eggs, USDA concluded that the average amount of cholesterol has decreased by 14 percent and vitamin D content has increased by 64 percent.

"Now in our fourth year of donating eggs at Easter, United Egg Producers and its members are proud to lend a helping hand to those in need throughout the communities we raise food for," said Gene Gregory, president of United Egg Producers. "America's egg farming community is made up of families just like any other and we are proud to be able to help out our communities by continuing to raise such a nutritious and affordable food."

2011 marks the fourth year in a row United Egg Producers and Feeding America have teamed up to help ensure America's food banks are well stocked with nutrient-dense eggs each Spring.  Since 2008, America's egg farmers have donated more than 50 million eggs to local food banks across the country.  

"The need for a high-protein food for families facing food insecurity is greater now than ever," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "Receiving the gift of eggs is a tremendous help at this time of year and we are happy that United Egg Producers are stepping up again to make a difference."

According to the USDA, while cholesterol has decreased, the amount of protein in one large egg remains the same at a whopping 6 grams, and the protein in eggs is one of the highest quality proteins found in any food and every egg still has 13 essential nutrients including choline, folate, iron and zinc.  

About United Egg Producers

United Egg Producers (UEP) is the nation's leading trade association for U.S. egg farmers, representing 97 percent of U.S. egg farmers, whose members produce eggs including modern cage production, cage-free, free range, organic and other specialty eggs. UEP is based in Alpharetta, GA. To learn more about the egg industry visit www.uepcertified.com. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/UEPCertified or follow our updates on Twitter at twitter.com/UEPCertified.

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

SOURCE United Egg Producers