Schouten Europe, a Netherlands-based producer of vegetarian and vegan products, has launched its first plant-based egg white.
The product is said to look and taste like chicken egg whites, while providing the same nutritional benefits. It takes far fewer resources to produce than conventional eggs, and is suitable for those with egg allergies.
Described as a versatile ingredient, the plant-based egg white can be used in a range of applications such as spreads, salads, wraps, and sandwiches. It is made from soy protein and rapeseed oil, and has a chilled shelf life of three months.
“We are excited about introducing our plant-based egg white to the market and helping accelerate the shift to more sustainable food production,” says Schouten. “We believe our innovative solution is ideally suited for industrial use where producers process egg white into products. Eggs have skyrocketed in price in recent years, so this plant-based variant is also interesting, price-wise.”
“Constantly innovating”
Schouten has been developing meat alternatives since 1990, and now offers an extensive and varied range of plant-based products. In 2021, the company launched its first seafood alternatives, including burgers and fish sticks. The range attracted significant interest from the conventional seafood industry, which had noticed increased customer demand for plant-based alternatives.
Earlier this year, Schouten announced a collaboration with Grassa to investigate whether meat alternatives could be made using grass protein. This would provide a local, scalable alternative to other plant proteins such as soy.
“Our company’s portfolio includes a wide range of vegan and vegetarian products, including burgers; meatballs and sausages; chicken and beef alternatives; fish and seafood alternatives; schnitzel and nuggets; meal components; and snacks and finger food,” Schouten Chairman Henk Schouten told vegconomist in a recent interview. “We are constantly innovating in the field of fish and chicken substitutes.”
