Nepra Foods (OTCQB: NPRFF) announces it is partnering national US bread company to deliver the first products made with Nepra’s proprietary vegan egg replacement.
The gluten-free products will initially be distributed to over 2,600 retailers across the country, including Kroger, Publix and Meijer stores.
“There is literally no application we cannot make a formulation specific for”
According to Nepra, which produces an entire line of vegan egg replacement formulations, the novel product removes the last remaining allergen (eggs) from the ingredient list. Described as “indistinguishable” from its wheat-based counterpart, the gluten-free bread has a 28-day ambient shelf life and reduced carbohydrate profile.
Nepra’s initial formula will be used in white and multigrain breads, before expanding to other gluten-free product offerings. The company says it will retain ownership of the formulation, allowing it to license or partner with other leading bakeries.
“This product not only allows for the removal of an allergen and animal product from an ingredient list, it is also topical given the five-fold increase in egg prices last year,” commented Chadwick White, CEO of Nepra Foods. “It not only offers a superior replacement to conventional eggs, it’s also more cost competitive with less inherent price volatility, and the supply of the product is significantly more stable.”
50% cost reduction
In 2022, US egg prices soared by a staggering 530%, driven by a devastating outbreak of avian flu and rising costs for inputs such as animal feed, packaging and transportation. According to Nepra, powdered eggs are a critical ingredient to both conventional and gluten-free bakeries, and the company’s egg-free formulations offer a 50% reduction in costs (vs. chicken eggs), with more than 20% savings in final product costs.
Versatile substitute
Nepra states its egg replacement formulations provide a vegan, non-allergenic, direct substitute at a fraction of the cost of chicken eggs, while offering stronger pricing and supply stability.
The company adds its ingredients can be used to produce a wide range of goods, from baked goods to condiments and sauces. For its first commercial applications, Nepra chose to focus on the gluten-free baking industry given the management’s extensive network and expertise in the area.
Revolutionizing baking
White states, “Products developed with our egg replacement also have superior characteristics for gluten-free applications, presenting a product that is shelf-stable in ambient conditions, with many of the structural characteristics of conventional gluten-rich bread but also maintaining superior product quality for over 28 days. There is literally no application we cannot make a formulation specific for – it truly has the ability to revolutionize the baking and ingredient business as we know it!”
