![]() At first, animal proteins were mostly used, such as milk powder, casein, whey, and bovine plasma protein. The first studies on egg substitutes go back to the seventies, where particular focus was attributed to replace eggs in bakery products. These issues have increased consumers’ concern toward the consumption of eggs for health, safety, or environmental reasons, and gave room to a new variety of alternative products, such as egg substitutes.Ĭreating egg substitutes to replace egg functionality and nutritional properties is a challenging task due to the multi-functionality of eggs that impact the taste, texture, and the aspect of food products. These methods showed variable degrees of success, but they have not been scaled up due to safety, consumer acceptance, repeatability, and economic reasons. Different approaches were applied to reduce cholesterol and to mitigate epitopes present in eggs by chemical (solvents and biopolymers), physical (fractionation and separation), and biological (enzymes) processing. A diet exempt of egg is the only solution to manage an egg allergy. Egg allergies may also coexist with other food allergies, such as nuts and fish. This allergy can cause serious skin reactions, nasal congestion, and gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms. This allergy is triggered by ovomucoid (Gal d 1), ovalbumin (Gal d 2), ovotransferrin/conalbumin (Gal d 3), and lysozyme (Gal d 4), which are mainly located in egg whites and, to a lesser extent, in yolk. Egg allergies are one of the most common food allergies in young children, and tends to persist into adulthood. Nevertheless, the accumulation of these drug residues in eggs can cause significant health concerns by triggering allergic reactions and transmitting antibiotic-resistant microbial infections. The use of antibiotics and hormones in poultry products to ensure rapid growth and health is another contentious issue in the poultry industry. Several safety scandals have heavily affected the egg industry, such as fipronil in eggs in Europe (2017), and a salmonella outbreak in poultry in the USA (2015) and UK (2018). Over the last years, increased public awareness over numerous foodborne diseases transmittable through egg consumption are increasingly alarming for consumers, and negatively impacting the consumption of poultry eggs. Zoonotic diseases related to poultry and eggs, such as avian tuberculosis, erysipelas, and salmonellosis, and flus, is one of the main factors fueling the market growth of vegan eggs. On the other hand, consumers are turning towards plant-based food substitutes as a response to rising food safety concerns related to eggs, among other ethical concerns in European countries such as Germany, France, and Italy. In low- and middle-income countries, due to the price increase in meat, there has also been a shift towards increased egg consumption as a response to maintaining animal-based protein consumption in the diet. Overall, it was recommended to limit cholesterol intake, and replace whole eggs with egg whites/substitutes for facilitating cardiovascular health and long-term survival. Moderate egg consumption (up to one egg per day) was found to be not associated with a cardiovascular disease risk. At present, this market is still in its infancy stages, and clear regulations of labeling, safety, and risk assessment are deemed mandatory to organize the sector, and protect consumers.ĭespite the nutritional value and functionality of eggs as a food ingredient, a high consumption was reported to be related to chronic degenerative diseases that can cause cardiovascular disease and mortality due to its high cholesterol content. ![]() Claims such as clean labels, natural, vegan, animal-free, gluten-free, and/or cholesterol-free can further boost the position of vegan eggs in the market in the coming year. Nutritionally, providing vegan eggs with similar or higher nutritional value to that of eggs can be of relevance to attract health-conscious consumers. Current, but scarce, research in this field is focused on making mixtures of plant-based ingredients to fit specific food formulations. Recreating the complete functionality of eggs using plant-based ingredients is very challenging due to the complexity of eggs. This study intends to discuss, for the first time, the vegan egg market, including their formulation, nutritional aspects, and some applications (i.e., mayonnaise and bakery products). The major drivers of this industry are the increasing prevalence of egg allergies, awareness towards environmental sustainability, and the shift to vegan diets. Vegan eggs are designed with the aim to provide a healthier and more sustainable alternative to regular eggs.
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