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Emma Ignaszewski is a company participation director of Good Food Institute. The opinion is its own.
Easter is like egg hunting. Every year, as a child, my fierce sister and I started hunting eggs in our backyard. As a teenager, we continued tradition to see who could find more.
Families from all over the country can face hiccups with annual egg hunting this April. And this reality will not change soon. Here is a volatility price and a limited supply.
The food company planned the repetitive risk of bird flu and recognized that egg price volatility is not just a coincidence but a pattern. Bird flu and the result of supply of algae were occurred in other times in 2014-2015, before 2022-2023 and in other regions. Since 2022, more than 160 million birds have died or clumped to contain viruses, and the price of eggs has been almost three times. The extended price and supply chain interruption emphasized the vulnerability of the food system, leaving it for unpredictable costs for consumers and companies.
There are dozens of US families using eggs, and there are more ways to integrate eggs into groceries and products that US companies buy from restaurants. People see eggs as a perfectly packaged and convenient protein source. As an industry expert studying consumer behavior and trends, I can say that egg demand is not reduced soon. But tradition and stability of US egg consumption are threatened.
Perhaps it was time to stop all our eggs in one basket. One solution? Egg alternative.
Today, plant -based egg sales of US groceries are less than 0.5% of all egg sales, signing a vast space for growth. About 30 %of the US -produced eggs are used as a commercially baked product and a pasta ingredient. This means that a food manufacturer has a unique opportunity to explore alternatives to provide the function of the eggs if it does not affect the consumer experience.
Plant -based eggs are already widely used, and they receive audits for various applications, consumers’ interest in products without allergens and animals, and benefits (in some cases). There are various egg replacement options that fit the various needs made of chickpea, soybeans, soybeans, mung bean protein, canola protein, aqua pava, tapioca powder and duck weds. Plant -based egg replacement provides economic, convenience and stability. Some estimates show that switching can reduce the related costs by 30 %.
The new ingredient solution is also on the horizon. Innovation, such as precision fermentation, produces the same ingredients as animal protein, and animals do not need it (of course, people who are vulnerable to animal disease such as bird flu). This process produces ingredients such as proteins found in eggs and dairy products using organisms such as yeast. Such protein can melt and stretch and provide the eggs. This approach has a long history of safe use in food. 80%of the rennet used for cheese production is made this way. Some companies and component manufacturers are innovating with precise deployment and eggs. Mozzarella, which has no dairy products of pizza and vegetable eggs, is already in the restaurant menu.
The new report of MCKINSEY emphasizes the benefits of the supply chain of fermented protein and estimates that the market of these products can be $ 150 billion by 2050. “It is noted for the highest advantages of traditional food and agricultural values, which reduces the exposure to increasing geographical flexibility and the interruption of weather, weather, supply chain and diseases. It means reliable supply of vegetable eggs, milk, cheese, grilled foods, pasta, etc.
Of course, reform includes more than simply changing eggs into an alternative. Careful ingredients select and test, technical feasibility assessment, supply chain adjustment and production scale up.
But these are all challenges to overcome. Some large food companies are already investing in egg alternatives for future prevention supply chains for interference and price shocks. In fact, all five US food suppliers in the United States have egg replacement in the portfolio. And food giants like Unilever, Nestle and BEL brands have added ingredients made through precise fermentation (mainly dairy protein) to products of brand lines. For example, BEL Brands has created an alternative to the Nurish Cream Cheese, which alliances in partnership with Precision-Perningation Company Perfect Day, which contains no lactose and contains oil protein.
Plant -based and precision fermentation -derived ingredients provide manufacturers with smart hedge for supply chain. They can help to operate the future, reliable, cost stability, and sustainable choices. They can guarantee business continuity and economic feasibility for both companies and consumers. And they can provide slogans during the surge in family demand, such as mine that can celebrate Easter or observe the Passover.
Today, a company that reconsiders egg ingredients will be better to overcome tomorrow’s confusion.
