Plant-Based Eggs

Introduction

Plant-based diets are an increasingly common phenomenon. There are many reasons as to why one would adopt a plant-based diet. Some cite health reasons since animal products are known to have high levels of cholesterol and some, especially red meats are considered a class 2a carcinogen if consumed excessively.¹ Others care about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment. Plant-based diets have been shown to have a low impact on the environment and unnecessary resource wastage.² Overmore, vegans, are concerned primarily with the ethical stance of the consumption of animals and their by-products. They consider the consumption of these products immoral and the fact that they are not fundamental for survival³ makes choosing the suffering of animals unnecessary and unjust. Those who are allergic to animal products may opt for a plant-based alternative as well.

What are plant-based eggs?

Plant-based eggs are a take on the traditional egg which comes from many different types of species of animal. However, as the most common egg used today as food, chicken eggs are the most commonly replicated by plant-based alternatives. People also eat eggs from different species of birds such as ostriches and ducks or even reptiles, however, this is much less common. As mentioned in the opening paragraph, plant-based eggs are chosen for several reasons over animal eggs. Plant-based eggs are made from fully plant-based ingredients. This means no animal products are used in the manufacturing process. Depending on which brand and which manufacturer is producing these plant-based eggs can vary in taste, texture and ingredients. This sector is still in its infancy stage and is just beginning to take off.

What is used to make plant-based eggs? 

The utility and functionality of animal eggs are wide-ranging from gelling to foaming and emulsifying, it serves multiple roles in many different types of dishes. Therefore, it can be hard to replicate an egg due to its many properties and complex structure. This, however, has not stopped many pioneers from trying. Various companies have started researching how to replicate this common foodstuff to suit the needs of an ever-growing market that wishes to buy them. Researchers have mainly experimented with substances such as proteins, emulsifiers and polysaccharide hydrocolloids either alone or in combinations to create the final food product. Plant-based eggs are mainly used at this present time as an egg substitute in bakery or dessert products. 

The most commonly used ingredient is protein derived from pulses such as chickpeas, lentils and peas. These proteins share multiple purposes with animal eggs such as gelling, foaming and emulsification properties. Hydrocolloids are also often added to improve the solubility of the plant protein. Another compound called aquafaba, obtained from chickpeas is gaining in popularity due to its respective versatile properties.

Hydrocolloids such as carrageenan, pectin and guar gum are used to improve the texture and feel.⁵ As are vegetable oils such as canola and sunflower oils. You can always double-check the back of the packet to see what ingredients are in your specific plant-based egg product. See if you can spot some of the ingredients listed here. 

102 different vegan egg products were launched to the global market in 2021 according to Mintels GNPD database. This number is set to rise in coming years as the demand for plant-based products increases. 

So far I have dealt in a more general manner. Now let's look at specific products and compare.

Let’s start with one of the world's most popular condiments, mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is a colloid, i.e. water and oil mixture, This is traditionally made with 70-80 per cent vegetable oils, egg yolk, vinegar and spices. Most of the ingredients of a traditional mayonnaise are plant-based. The egg however has to be substituted out. The optimal mixture for this replacement so far has been to replace it with xanthan gum, soy milk and oil. 

Modified starches and aquafaba have also had consistently good results with the right mixture amount.

Turning to bakery products, soy lecithin and mono- and di-glycerides have been shown to produce cakes that have acceptable volume, firmness and moisture content.⁴ Xantham gum can also be added for the desired consistency and texture.

There is no standard way to produce plant-based egg products. Instead, it is looked at from a needs viewpoint with different compounds used for the desired effect. This varies depending on the end product that is desired.

Health benefits

Plant-based eggs have a number of key health benefits over ‘traditional’ eggs. While eggs are usually touted for their wide-ranging profile of nutrients and vitamins, they have come under fire recently for negatively affecting cholesterol when consumed excessively, and this is one main reason why a plant-based egg alternative may be healthier, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health. Although plant-based eggs do not contain the same mineral profile and are lacking in B12, this is being solved through fortification.

All of the beneficial nutrients that may be found in eggs are being replaced adequately in most plant-based products. In fact, due to this shift, plant-based products aim to provide a higher nutrition profile by increasing the nutrients found in eggs and using this as an advertising and differentiating point. As a result, some nutrients such as calcium can be found in even higher quantities than those found in traditional eggs. Animal eggs contain no fibre and plant-based eggs contain high amounts of fibre due to the agents used to mimic the emulsification properties of animal eggs. Fibre is important as part of a balanced diet to aid digestion.

On the topic of health, more recognition is being given to the zoonotic diseases caused by animal agriculture, especially keeping animals in confined conditions where disease spread can be rapid. Antibiotic resistance is also a concern with antibiotics being used in animals and resistant bacteria making their way into the human population. Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, a heightened awareness of this risk is another reason why plant-based eggs may be a healthier alternative.

Ethical considerations

Mass production of eggs hit the world in the 1930-1940s. Prior to this, it was carried out on a much smaller scale. The impact of this has led to the absolute commodification of egg-laying animals. As egg-laying hens are living creatures, treating them as part of a production process inevitably leads to cruelty and suffering. In massive barns, they often exist in squalid and overcrowded conditions. Here they churn out eggs until they are unable to and their body is completely deprived of nutrients (naturally, they would have laid 12 eggs a year in the wild as part of their menstrual cycle, they have been selectively bred to lay an egg a day). Detractors say that because of this unusually high production level, owning chickens in this state is inherently cruel as they have been ‘designed’ by humans to exist in this constant state of egg production.

The commodification of egg production in this way also prevents us from seeing hens as living creatures. The average age of death for an egg-laying hen is 18-24 months while if looked after correctly they can live up to 10 years. On top of this, male chicks from the egg industry are usually discarded as a waste product on their first day of life. They can be placed in a large blender-like machine called a macerator and ground up alive or left to suffocate in a tied-up sack. This is seen as unacceptable and cruel for ultimately an unnecessary reason and that is why vegans will refuse to contribute to the industry of animal by-products. Even if they weren’t factory-farmed, vegans are against the commodification of sentient beings and believe it is unethical to cause suffering for an unnecessary reason. If there is a way to get nutrition that does the least harm and causes the least amount of suffering, why shouldn’t we opt for it?

Issues faced by the plant-based egg industry

The plant-based egg industry faces some challenges in its fledgling stages. These relate to current scalability issues and costs when production is not as high as it could be. It is hoped that increased innovation, consumer awareness and acceptance will lead to further growth in the industry in turn bringing down cost and allowing for even larger economies of scale. There is also ongoing research to increase the palatability and nutritional profile of plant-based eggs so that they become mainstream in society and provide the best of both worlds for the consumer, manufacturer and animals. 

Summary

Plant-based eggs are used in many different and diverse products, just as animal eggs are used. Whether it is baking or in a simple breakfast scramble, they are prepared in ever more convenient ways for the enjoyment of the individual. The desirability of plant-based eggs has increased in popularity and is set to grow even further. While currently a fringe food item, with health, environmental and ethical advantages over animal eggs, it would be no surprise to see it join the mainstream in future.