PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATIONAL FOOD AND NUTRITION COMMISSION URGES EVERYONE TO EAT AN EGG A DAY AND IN PARTICULAR CARE GIVERS TO FEED CHILDREN “AN EGG A DAY’’ TO HELP CURB CHILD MALNUTRITION
Lusaka (Monday, 11th October 2021) – Friday, 8th October 2021was the 25th Anniversary of World Egg Day, a day observed on every 8th October of the year. On this day the nutrition and versatility of the egg was celebrated and highlighted.
The egg has a range of unique benefits for people at all stages of life, including growing adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, and infants, particularly those in nutritionally vulnerable areas.
The global theme for this year’s World Egg Day, is “Eggs for all: Nature’s perfect package’’. The theme says it all, eggs are for everyone and are a perfect package – they are nutrient-dense. Eggs contain essential nutrients: choline, which supports foetal brain development; vitamin B12 and iron for child growth and overall brain function; iodine, which aids the healthy functioning of the nervous system and maintains healthy skin; vitamin D which plays an important role in calcium and phosphorus absorption, making it essential for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth; vitamin A which helps maintain healthy skin and eye tissue and assists in night vision; vitamin E – an antioxidant that plays a role in maintaining good health and preventing disease; folate which helps prevent a type of anaemia and helps protect against serious birth defects if taken before pregnancy and during the first three (3) months of pregnancy; Selenium which works with vitamin E which is an antioxidant helping prevent the breakdown of body tissues; Lutein and zeaxanthin which help maintain good vision; and protein which is easily absorbed by the body and is essential for building and repairing muscles, organs, skin, hair; for producing hormones, enzymes and antibodies.
Eggs also support physical strength and provide other benefits that support families such as being a source of income. Truly eggs are loaded with these benefits.
In Zambia, child stunting is at 35% and is attributed partly to poor child feeding practices including poor quality of the diet. Eggs are an affordable animal source protein. Eggs are solid nutritious foods which can be introduced at six (6) months of age of a child. Therefore the National Food and Nutrition Commission is appealing to everyone to consume an egg a day and in particular caregivers to feed children with eggs. This will contribute to the prevention and reduction in child malnutrition.
Eggs are sustainably produced. The production is environmental – friendly where relatively less land is used to keep chickens which in turn convert the feed given to them very efficiently into protein. Already egg producers are aligning themselves with the sustainable indicators by developing standards around five pillars of focus: environment and natural resources, feeding the World with Safe Affordable High-Quality Protein; People and the Community; Animal Health and Welfare; and Efficiency and Innovation. Within the framework of food systems transformation that was launched on September 23, sustainable egg production will contribute to the attaining of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Therefore, it’s important that everyone eats an egg a day including young children to prevent child malnutrition.
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Nutrition Education and Communication Unit
National Food and Nutrition Commission
P.O. Box 32669, Lusaka
Tel: +260 211 227 803
www.nfnc.org.zm
