Egg Board CEO Steps Down After Vegan Mayo Scandal

American Egg Board (AEB) CEO Joanne Ivy retired in September, three months earlier than initially planned. While the reason has not been confirmed, ABC News speculates the move is connected to Ivy’s involvement in the recent scandal regarding vegan company Hampton Creek. Last month, VegNews reported that a series of emails between AEB and the US Food and Drug Administration revealed Ivy’s illegal efforts to remove Hampton Creek’s egg-less Just Mayo off Whole Foods shelves. Ivy identified the vegan company as a “threat” and misappropriated government egg subsidy funds toward eliminating Hampton Creek as a competitor. One such attempt resulted in AEB influencing the FDA to send a warning letter to Hampton Creek that claimed its use of the word “mayo” was in violation of federal identity standards of mayonnaise. Hampton Creek CEO Josh Tetrick has hired a communications firm that deals with government affairs to assist him in strategically responding to the FDA.