New England Organic Egg Farmer Takes On FDA Over What Is 'Healthy'

BOSTON (CBS) -- When it comes to healthy eating, many nutritionists will tell you that eggs have gotten a bad rap due to high levels of fat and cholesterol. But "eggs are a fabulous, nutrient-dense food," says Boston University Nutritionist Joan Salge-Blake.

The FDA is not 100% on board, in fact, the agency's guidelines prohibit eggs from being labeled as healthy because of those fat and cholesterol levels.

Now, a New England Egg farmer is taking on the FDA in an effort to give the egg an image makeover. Jesse LaFlamme of Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs based in New Hampshire, says eggs are an inexpensive source of protein and are loaded vitamins and minerals. He says the FDA's rules are just plain wrong. "It's infuriating and it confuses a lot of people," he explains.

In a country where 40% of the adult population is obese, LaFlamme is outraged that many foods that are high in sugar do meet the FDA guidelines for healthy. That's why he is petitioning the agency to change the definition of healthy and he's using scientific studies to prove his point. "Essentially, there's no link between bad cholesterol in your bloodstream and the cholesterol that we intake," he says.

Salge-Blake agrees it might be time for the FDA to take another look. "Is the definition of healthy really applicable in today's food market based on the science as we know it right now?" she says.

We reached out to the FDA and a spokesperson told us the agency is reviewing nutrition science data and public input as it considers modernizing the criteria for the term healthy.