Eggs, minus the hen

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/10.

Choosing vegan eggs depends largely on the circumstances in which consumers encounter them. In order to find out more about this, researchers simulated a hypothetical situation and asked 1,600 consumers to imagine they were about to have breakfast at home or in a restaurant and to tell if they would choose traditional scrambled eggs or pancakes made with vegan eggs. From the perspective of taste and appearance traditional eggs were the clear winner, and the location of the meal didn’t really influence the decision. However, researchers say the acceptance of vegan eggs increases when they appear in familiar food compositions – in this case pancakes.

Plant-based eggs are more appealing in familiar dishes

Price sensitivity, ethical and environmental considerations

It also turned out that the lower price of vegan eggs (also) motivates consumers. Nothing proves this better than the egg shortage in the United States this year, which was caused by the bird flu and as a result more than 50 “bodegas” in New York began using Just Eat’s plant-based Just Egg product in their sandwiches. Although vegan eggs are generally more expensive, the shortage of traditional eggs meant they became cheaper for a while, which increased demand and resulted in many repeat customers. According to Just Eat’s report, Just Egg sales got five times bigger in January 2025 compared to the previous year.

Another factor that shouldn’t be overlooked when we talk about the viability of plant-based eggs is the growing pressure to promote practices that improve animal welfare. On the other hand, modern consumers are also increasingly aware of the environmental impact of food consumption.

Although animal welfare considerations influence purchasing decisions, the success of vegan eggs depends on delivering a satisfying sensory experience

Plant-based egg substitutes in professional kitchens

Founded in 2019 by Anne Vincent and Rodolphe Landemaine, French start-up Yumgo has developed egg substitutes that rival traditional eggs not only in taste and texture, but also in performance.

Designed by a chef for chefs, the products are tailored to the needs of professional kitchens, patisseries, bakeries and food manufacturers. They are already used by more than 1,200 chefs all over the world. Yumgo offers plant-based alternatives to whole eggs, egg whites and egg yolks, in both powder and liquid form. 

Just Egg launches in the UK to conquer Europe

Just Egg, the market-leading vegan egg from US company Eat Just, entered the British market in early August.

It is manufactured and distributed on the continent by none other than the Vegan Food Group, the company behind VFC and Meatless Farm. The launch marks Just Egg’s European debut and its first appearance outside North America. The mung bean based liquid egg, which contains 13g of protein per serving, is available in the UK in 340ml bottles, for the price of just 6 eggs.