United Egg Producers (UEP) is an agricultural cooperative in the Midwestern United States which represents the interests of regional egg producers.
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The group was formed in 1968 as an umbrella organization encompassing five regional egg cooperatives. According to the association's web site, the initial concerns of those who formed UEP were: price discovery, production and marketing information, unified industry leadership, establishing a strong relationship with the United States Department of Agriculture, developing a presence in Washington, D.C., and supporting strong industry promotion efforts.
The group is not to be confused with the American Egg Board, which focuses on promoting egg consumption among the public, and is famous for their marketing slogan, "The Incredible, Edible Egg." The UEP was instrumental in the American Egg Board's creation.[1]
A spokesperson for the UEP was asked to comment by the Associated Press after the animal rights group Mercy for Animals sent letters of protest to the fifty largest grocers in the US demanding they include a label on egg cartons that says, "Warning: Male chicks are ground-up alive by the egg industry." The UEP called the campaign "almost a joke," and said that the group's ultimate aim was to stop egg consumption altogether.[2] To coincide with the letter campaign, Mercy For Animals released a video showing male chicks being killed on the production line of an Iowa hatchery by being fed, alive, into a grinder. The hatchery claimed that the procedure, known in the industry as instantaneous euthanasia was in line with guidelines set up by the UEP.[2]