In the face of soaring global egg production, reaching almost double in volume over the last two decades, the egg ingredient market is undergoing a profound transformation. Challenges such as tightening requirements, supply chain reliability issues, and limited alternatives are reshaping the landscape. Eggs, being a versatile and widely used global animal protein, are indispensable in various food manufacturing processes, making sustainability and reliability in production crucial.

The recent surge in egg prices, often referred to as “egg-flation,” has brought to light the vulnerabilities in the egg supply chain. Factors such as higher-priced chicken feed and a bird flu outbreak have led to a 70% price increase between 2022 and 2023. This outbreak alone resulted in significant losses in the U.S., with around 40 million birds affected and economic costs amounting to $3 billion. Moreover, the industry faced challenges in meeting commitments to cage-free production.

The adverse impacts of factory chicken farming, including diseases like avian flu, environmental burdens, and resource depletion, emphasize the urgent need for a more sustainable solution. Enter precision fermentation, an emerging food technology that leverages microbes to produce specific functional food ingredients, eliminating the need for farm animals.

Companies like Onego Bio are at the forefront of this innovation, utilizing precision fermentation to create animal-free egg protein, such as their product Bioalbumen. By training a fungus found in the forest, Trichoderma reesei, to produce egg protein, they have developed a nature-identical ovalbumin protein, the primary protein in egg whites. This breakthrough not only eliminates harm to chickens but also reduces the environmental footprint by 90% compared to traditional egg production, all while maintaining the same protein content.

Precision fermentation is gaining traction across various companies, with applications ranging from plant-based meat alternatives to whey protein and cheese production. The efficiency and environmental benefits are compelling, with up to a 10-fold improvement in yields compared to traditional methods.

Ensuring safety standards for human consumption, some products derived from precision fermentation have already received FDA clearance, while others are awaiting approval. Collaborative efforts through organizations like the Precision Fermentation Alliance and Food Fermentation Europe aim to foster the growth of this industry and promote sustainable and resilient food systems globally.

The future of precision fermentation looks promising, offering an animal-free, efficient, and sustainable approach to food ingredient production. With heightened awareness of climate and food crises, coupled with advancements in industrial biotechnology, precision fermentation presents a viable solution to scale up production and address the massive volumes needed to meet market demands. As consumers become more acquainted with the benefits of fermentation-based egg protein, the shift towards building the egg industry without chickens becomes a clever and justifiable part of the green transition.

By Impact Lab