Egg Alternatives

Until a few years ago, plant-based egg alternatives were a largely unknown niche product whose product range was limited to replacements for the egg content in baked goods. Since then, the market for high-quality egg substitutes has taken off, largely fueled by the launch of the internationally popular scrambled egg substitute JUST Egg in 2017.

Available across the US, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, South Africa, Hong Kong, China, and Europe in Q4 2022, JUST Egg is the fastest expanding egg brand in the world. Supported by tennis superstar Serena Williams and actor Jake Gyllenhaal, JUST Egg is a global phenomenon that continues to prove the increasing demand for nutritious egg substitutes.

Growing innovation power of the plant egg category

Innovation and variety in plant-based egg alternatives are driving growth as consumers continue to turn to cruelty-free products. Data on the vegan eggs market shows that sales of vegan egg substitutes are expected to reach a value of close to $3.3 billion by 2031, rising at a CAGR of around 8.3%.

Product development and innovational power are increasing on a global scale. In 2022, Indian startup Evo Foods successfully launched the first heat-stable and plant-based boiled egg after establishing itself as a known producer of plant-based liquid eggs.

Moreover, by making use of cellular agriculture, companies like Onego Bio Ltd from Finland are already working on an animal-free egg protein that is produced with a specific precision fermentation process creating identical egg white protein without the need for animals. At the same time, food tech pioneer Fiction Foods already revealed its cellular agriculture egg alternative launch to be in Q3 2022.

The market launch of more high-quality egg alternatives, whether in powder, liquid, or hard-boiled form, is expected in 2023. Subscribe to the vegconomist newsletter to keep up to date with the latest developments in the egg alternatives market.

Female-Led French Brand Le Papondu Launches Vegan Beaten Egg

October 3, 2022

French brand Le Papondu has launched its vegan egg alternative after years of research and development. Engineers Sheryline Thavisouk and Philippine Soulères first began developing the plant-based egg in 2017, and have been working full-time on the project since 2019. After numerous trials and a successful crowdfunding campaign with 600 backers, the pair began working with a culinary laboratory. This led to the development of their first commercial product, Papondu Beaten. The beaten egg alternative is made from a short list of ingredients, including fava bean flour, oil, water, salt, carrot, and methylcellulose. It is said to be suitable for use in a range of dishes, such as omelettes, egg muffins, and fresh pasta. Le Papondu is also working on a whole egg alternative, which …

Vegan Bacon Sandwich ©Gregory's Coffee

5 US Coffee Chains Embracing 100% Plant-Based Breakfast Sandwiches

September 30, 2022

While coffee giants like Dunkin’, Starbucks and Tim Hortons have gradually adopted more vegan-friendly options in recent years, such items have largely been limited to dairy-free milks and the occasional plant-based sausage. Now, a growing number of smaller US chains are taking the initiative to offer consumers fully vegan versions of breakfast favorites, including bacon, sausage, eggs and cheese. Here we present some of the most notable names leading this trend: 1. Peet’s Coffee Peet’s, which operates over 200 locations in 11 states, first introduced the Everything Plant-Based Sandwich as a limited-time offering in early 2021. But the item, which features a Beyond Sausage with folded JUST Egg and melted vegan cheddar, was so phenomenally successful the chain added it back permanently one year later. …

Zero Egg Launches “World’s First” Plant-Based Frozen Scrambled Egg

September 21, 2022September 21, 2022

US food-tech startup Zero Egg is set to launch what it claims is the first ever plant-based and ready-to-eat frozen egg alternative in scrambled format. The plant-based egg, which is called Scoopable Scramble, will be available to the foodservice and manufacturing industries. Made from a proprietary blend of plant proteins, it is said to have the same taste and texture as conventional chicken eggs. It is also described as chef-ready with a 100% yield (meaning there is no food waste). “A game-changer in the egg category” Zero Egg first launched in 2020, claiming to be “the first plant-based egg replacement that tastes, looks, and functions like an ordinary egg”. Just a month later, the company secured $5 million in a funding round. Since then, Zero …

Perfect Day Unveils ‘nth Biology’ Hub, Partners with Onego Bio for Egg White Proteins

September 23, 2022September 20, 2022

Alternative dairy leader Perfect Day announces the launch nth Bio – a new enterprise biology business that will offer the company’s precision fermentation expertise and technology to companies around the world. The startup also reveals nth Bio’s first public partner as Onego Bio, which specializes in making animal-free egg whites. Based in Salt Lake City, nth Bio seeks to accelerate the development of more responsibly sourced food, pharmaceuticals and textiles using the power of precision fermentation. To accomplish this, nth provides bioengineers access to critical tools, expertise, infrastructure and technology needed to create impact in the food sector and beyond. According to the company, the name ‘nth’ perfectly describes its larger vision and mission. “The name nth Bio comes from the exponential impact we stand …

OnlyEg ©Float Foods

Float Foods’ OnlyEg Wins Best Plant-Based Functional Award

September 15, 2022

Float Foods’ OnlyEg was named Best Plant-Based Functional Award at the Plant Based Expo in New York City last week. The winning product in the category was OnlyEg XL Omelette, an extra-large omelette format that can be used for omelettes as well as a wide range of applications, from breakfast menus to burgers, sandwiches and crepes. Based in Singapore, Float Foods‘ legume-based egg, offering distinct egg yolk and egg white components, was first introduced in 2020, claiming to be Asia’s first commercial plant-based whole egg substitute. The company secured SGD $2.2 million (approx USD $1.66 million) in an oversubscribed seed funding round in June 2021, and just last month revealed the “first” plant-based tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omelette) in Asia. The judging panel considered over 140 entries …

Scrambled OGGS Launches in Over 500 Sainsbury’s Stores Across the UK

September 15, 2022September 14, 2022

UK egg alternative brand OGGS is launching its plant-based Scrambled OGGS over 500 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK this September 14th. According to Oggs, Sainsbury’s has decided to increase distribution from 126 to almost every store following the news that Scrambled OGGS is the UK’s best-performing egg alternative. CEO and Founder of OGGS, Hannah Carter, commented: “The launch of Scrambled OGGS® nationwide marks the next stage in our mission to remove unnecessary egg products from the food chain. If you could switch eggs for a plant-based option that tastes great and produces 60% less CO2e – why wouldn’t you?” No more breakfasts without eggs Sales of plant-based egg alternatives in the UK have grown by 99% in the last year, with vegans and carbon-reducers looking …

Neggst Raises €5M for Whole Vegan Egg With Shell

September 13, 2022

Germany’s Neggst has raised €5 million in seed funding for its whole vegan eggs, which feature a white, a yolk, and a biodegradable shell. The round was led by Green Generation Fund (GGF), with participation from BayWa AG, RWZ, Corecam Capital Partners, and various notable angel investors. The company says it is in talks with other potential investors for a second funding round. Neggst was founded in 2021 by Veronica Garcia-Arteaga and Dr. Patrick Deufel. While carrying out research work at the Fraunhofer Institute, Garcia–Arteaga set out to create an egg alternative that was not just a substitute but an upgrade. According to the company, the resulting plant-based egg is virtually indistinguishable from conventional chicken eggs in terms of taste, appearance, functionality, and nutritional value. …

Kartik Dixit © Evo Foods

Evo Foods: “We Aim to Be Present On All Continents While Being the Market Leader in the US, India and SE Asia”

September 2, 2022September 2, 2022

Kartik Dixit, CEO and co-founder of India’s plant-based egg pioneer Evo Foods has had a busy couple of years, to say the least. Evo was founded in 2020 by Dixit and co-founder Shraddha Bhansali, who would go on to be named on the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2021 list and develop a range of products that taste, scramble, fry, boil, and make omelettes just like conventional eggs. The young founders say they are driving the company with the mission to bring the plant-based revolution to India, a country with the highest global percentage of vegetarianism but which has traditionally overlooked milk and eggs. Until now. Following a pre-seed round last year featuring high-profile investors, reportedly one of the largest ever by an early-stage food …

Float Foods Launches “Asia’s First Plant-Based Tamagoyaki”

August 31, 2022

Singapore’s Float Foods has launched what it claims is the first plant-based tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omelette) in Asia. The OnlyEg Tamagoyaki will be showcased for the first time at Food & Hotel Asia 2022 (FHA), a gathering of leading F&B manufacturers and emerging brands which will take place on September 6. The product will be presented and served by OnlyEg’s Chef Martin and a team from restaurant chain Poke Theory. Product range The plant-based tamagoyaki is the fourth product in the OnlyEg range, which also features shreds, patties, and XL omelettes. According to Float Foods, the products contain as much protein as conventional eggs and are rich in fibre. The OnlyEg range initially launched for foodservice in June, and has since seen huge demand. The egg …

©galiyahassan - stock.adobe.com

Shiru Partners with Puratos to Develop Next-Gen Egg Replacer for Baking

August 31, 2022August 31, 2022

California biotech startup Shiru announces a new partnership with Puratos, a leading innovator of bakery goods, to help evaluate and scale prototypes for a next-generation egg replacement. The partnership will focus on Shiru’s proprietary discovery platform Flourish, which identifies proteins that offer the same taste and texture properties as animal-based ingredients. Shiru will then leverage Purato’s expertise in bakery, patisserie and chocolate ingredients to create prototypes of plant-based baked goods. In order to target proteins, Flourish uses bioinformatics and machine learning to search through hundreds of millions of functional proteins found in nature. Once it locates a possible candidate with desirable properties, Shiru uses precision fermentation and high-throughput screening techniques to produce more of the proteins, which are then evaluated for their performance in baked goods. …

Japan’s Umami United Develops Plant-Based Egg Made With Konjac

August 24, 2022

Japanese foodtech company Umami United has revealed that it has developed plant-based eggs. The egg alternatives are made by combining Japanese ingredients such as konjac with a unique enzyme technology that enhances their flavour. Umami says it is already “gaining good traction from the domestic Japanese market”, emphasising that consumer needs are becoming more diverse due to concerns about sustainability, health, allergies, and other factors. The company aims to “unite all at one table” by providing options for everyone, especially children with allergies. Umami says foodservice is where it expects to see the most growth, with the potential to provide both ingredients and preprepared meals to catering companies. However, the company also plans to launch at supermarkets. Speaking to vegconomist, founder and CEO Hiroto Yamazaki …

JUST Egg’s Popular Liquid Egg Has Achieved Price Parity with Chicken Eggs

August 16, 2022

Food tech leader Eat JUST reveals its best-selling JUST Egg has achieved price parity with premium chicken eggs, reports Food Navigator-USA. According to company data, the price for a 12 oz bottle of liquid JUST Egg has dropped to $3.99, about the same as the average cost of a premium 12-count chicken egg product. Data from the past three years shows the price gap between JUST Egg and its competitors has continued to narrow, especially as the cost of chicken eggs surged over the past year. Since 2021, average retail egg prices have climbed a staggering 51% as the industry battles historic inflation and a major avian flu outbreak. Comparatively, JUST Egg’s prices have remained stable as the brand consistently worked to reduce its prices …

©Zero Egg

Zero Egg Serves Plant-Based Eggs to Mayor and 1,000+ Guests at NYC’s Gracie Mansion

August 13, 2022

This week, plant-based egg brand Zero Egg sponsored a Dominican Heritage event hosted by Gracie Mansion, the official residence of NYC Mayor Eric Adams. With 1,600 guests, the event was the city’s largest heritage event this year and featured a full spread of plant-based dishes made with Zero Egg. During the all-vegan event, guests enjoyed plant-based takes on traditional Dominican cuisine, including tostones, maduros, gazpacho, and revuelto de hueve con yucca frita. Normally made with chicken eggs, the revuelto de hueve was created with Zero Egg’s scramble and pickled red onion. Mayor Adams is a well-known vegan and health advocate who used his political platform to introduce vegan meals into the city’s public schools in 2022. Adams’ administration is also the first in NYC history …

Evo Foods Opens Preorders For Plant-Based Egg Products, Sells 1000+ in 24 Hours

August 3, 2022

On August 1st, India’s Evo Foods opened preorders in Mumbai for its new plant-based egg products — protein patties and cubes in Original and Peri Peri flavours. Just 24 hours later, sales had reached over a thousand units, despite the fact that preorders were only available to newsletter subscribers and the brand had not paid for any advertisements. This success is a testament to the growing demand for plant-based products in India. “World’s first” In March, Evo unveiled what it claimed was the world’s first heat-stable plant-based boiled egg. The following month, the brand showcased the product in the US for the first time, alongside its existing liquid eggs. Evo’s success has partly been made possible by a funding round last year, which was one …

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