Egg replacement firms seize the initiative as avian flu prompts some soul searching among egg users
Egg replacement was also a hot topic at Ingredion's booth this year as manufacturers have been scrambling to secure supplies in the wake of a devastating outbreak of avian flu, said Zallie.
"We can help customers replace 25-100% of egg in their recipes depending on the application."
While some customers will switch back to egg, or dial it back in as the market recovers from the latest avian flu outbreak, some will not go back, predicted Zallie.
"We saw a similar thing in beverages where people were looking for alternatives to gum arabic [as an emulsifier] in beverages [many of which contain oil-based flavors and colors that need stabilizing]," said Zallie. "They found they were happy with our alternatives, and never went back."