Happy World Egg Day! Though perhaps it is not such a happy day for the approximately 9 billion chickens killed in the US every year. There are, however, signs of change with recent surveys revealing up to 30% of consumers are likely to buy plant-based eggs instead of conventional poultry eggs.
The global egg substitutes market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5% until 2026, when it will be worth $2.1 billion, with many new companies entering the space to meet demand. Market leader JUST Egg is the most funded among them and has recently expanded into both South Africa and South Korea, as well as launching an ad campaign voiced by Curb Your Enthusiasm star J.B Smoove.
US plant-based brand Crafty Counter recently announced plans to launch WunderEggs, unique to the market as a hard-boiled egg alternative that offers a superior nutrition profile while maintaining the look, feel, and taste of a traditional boiled egg.
Israel’s Millennium Food-Tech and SavorEat will be the main investors in the $2 million Series A financing round for new company Egg’n’up – a SavorEat subsidiary that plans to develop plant-based egg substitutes, without detracting from the original taste of the egg and its nutritional values.
Piperleaf, the company that made “India’s first” plant-based milk chocolate has launched its Plant-Based Egg Alternative, a legume-based, soy-free, long-life premix for cooking scrambled eggs, omelettes and for use in baking.
Canadian plant-based producer Nabati Foods has announced the North American launch of Nabati Plant Eggz, which the brand claims to be the first Canadian plant-based egg substitute. The plant-based liquid egg product is soy-free and gluten-free and free from all of the most common allergens.
Recently rebranded The EVERY Company (formerly Clara Foods) has launched the “world’s first” animal-free egg protein – EVERY ClearEgg. Claiming to be the world’s first animal-free, nature-equivalent egg protein, the egg protein is highly soluble and nearly invisible for use in food and beverage products.
Zero Egg continues to build momentum and has launched its ready-to-eat plant-based frozen patty as a new product in its portfolio, which already includes a ready-to-use frozen liquid and powder. Zero Egg‘s patties are available at universities such as Notre Dame and Georgia State, through Dot Foods. Additionally, you can now find Zero Egg on the menus at restaurants such as New York’s Beyond Sushi and Atlanta’s Chi Chi Vegan Taco Shop.
Global food and drink conglomerate Nestlé has also entered the market with a plant-based egg launch in its Garden Gourmet range.
