Today, 9 October, is World Egg Day. It is being observed in countries around the world with the aims of raising public awareness of nutrition, highlighting the importance of eggs in a balanced diet and making nutritious food available to all. This year is the day’s 30th anniversary.
This year’s international theme is “Protein that powers and protects”.
The egg is an easily available, versatile and nutritious food. It contains high-quality protein and various essential vitamins and minerals, and can play an important part in the body’s growth, in building and maintaining muscle and in overall health.
The choline in eggs plays a part in brain function and the normal working of the nervous system. Eggs also provide essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin D and selenium.
Adequate nutrition is especially important while children and teenagers are growing and developing. Including eggs in a balanced diet can help meet their need for protein and essential nutrients.
For adults too, eggs can be an effective food for maintaining muscle and meeting daily nutritional needs. But to stay healthy one should not rely on eggs alone; a varied diet combining vegetables, fruit, pulses, fish, milk and other nutritious foods is needed.
One of the purposes of World Egg Day is to dispel common misconceptions about the nutritional value of eggs and encourage their proper use in people’s diets. Eggs are easily eaten boiled, fried, poached or as an ingredient in various dishes.
For food safety, however, eggs should be cooked well and kept in clean conditions.
In Bangladesh too, various steps have been taken to raise awareness of the nutritional value of eggs.
The Department of Livestock Services, the Bangladesh branch of the World’s Poultry Science Association and the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council have organised awareness programmes for the day, including rallies, discussion meetings and nutrition activities in educational institutions.
According to the Department of Livestock Services, about 25.09 billion eggs were produced in the country in the 2025-26 financial year, against annual demand of about 18.55 billion. Besides ensuring a fair price for egg producers, consumers’ purchasing power must also be taken into account. Ensuring nutritious food at affordable prices for low and middle-income families is an important condition for improving public health.
The poultry sector is also tied to the country’s rural economy, employment and food supply. The sector’s stability could improve if small and medium farmers are kept in business, effective measures are taken against disease, and safe production and fair competition in the market are ensured.
Hygiene rules must also be followed in producing, storing and transporting eggs.
The significance of World Egg Day is not confined to promoting the nutritional value of one food. It is a call to make nutritious food accessible to all, to stress the importance of nutrition in children’s healthy development and to build a safe food system.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report