American Egg Board in a Boil Over Vegan Mayo Company

You could say the American Egg Board has egg on its face after the group was allegedly caught trying to sabotage the makers of a vegan mayonnaise it considered to be a "major threat," the Guardian reports. The problem is the board—as a government-backed food lobby—is not allowed to "disparage non-egg commodities." Utah senator Mike Lee, who launched the investigation into the Egg Board, says it conducted “a strategic, multifaceted campaign to use the power and resources of the federal government to undermine the economic prospects of Hampton Creek." According to the New York Times, Hampton Creek makes plant-based egg substitutes, including vegan mayonnaise Just Mayo. It claims its products are better for the environment than eggs.

Among the American Egg Board's alleged transgressions: trying to keep Whole Foods from selling Just Mayo, joking about killing the Hampton Creek CEO, and thinking about confronting celebrity chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern over his positive comments on Hampton Creek, the Guardian reports. According to the Times, the board also made concerted efforts to never refer to Hampton Creek by name and had a PR agency advising them to, among other things, ignore Hampton Creek tweets about eggs and egg-related matters. In response, the USDA—which oversees the American Egg Board, National Pork Board, Mushroom Council, and others—has launched an investigation, and the CEO of the Egg Board stepped down. As usual, we'll leave the final word on eggs and egg governing bodies to The Simpsons. (More eggs stories.)