Nepra Foods Inc. has started commercial production and in-plant trials of their Essential brand Egg White Replacement Powder (EPB-ER1), a proprietary plant-based egg white powder replacement for use in wholesale bread bakeries where the producer wants to remove or reduce eggs in an existing product formulation.

Most plant-based egg replacements that have recently come to market are designed to replace the taste and texture of a variety of cooked whole eggs, like scrambled eggs. Nepra's EPB-ER1 is specifically designed for commercial bakeries that currently use an egg white powder made from chicken eggs but are looking to switch to an animal-free alternative.

Egg white powder is a critical ingredient for commercial bakers who need the functional protein component that is unique to chicken-based egg whites. Nepra's new egg replacement protein creates a great structure in baked goods, like the structure of a meringue. That same structure is essential in many baked goods, especially gluten-free products that don't have any gluten protein present to stabilize their bakes.

Gluten-free bakeries have for years looked for a viable substitute for egg whites. Companies have brought ingredients to market attempting to provide this, but most are starch-based and do not function that well. Nepra Foods has been working on this technology for years and has now proven that their proprietary plant protein-based version is a true replacement for egg whites in most bakery products, more importantly, gluten-free bread. The global gluten-free bakery market size was valued at $1.64 billion in 2021, with gluten-free bread making up 36.3% of the market share. The market is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8% from 2022 to 2030, forecast at a valuation of $4.15 billion in 2030.1

"When I talk to bakery colleagues around the world, they are all struggling with the recent spike in egg white prices and reduced supply. Bakeries have gone through these egg price fluctuations in the past with bird flu outbreaks, but there has never been a viable alternative to satisfy their needs. It has taken us a long time to finally get to the point where we have the right combination of different plant proteins, extracted correctly, that create the functionality we need to provide the industry with a true solution. With this new ingredient, bakeries can finally get real eggs out of their formulations for good and not be subject to these extreme market fluctuations in the future. As an added benefit, removing eggs from these products allows most of them to become allergen-free and suitable for vegan diets which will expand their market." -Chadwick White, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Nepra Foods.

Nepra Foods is working with partners and suppliers around the world in both short and long-term planning, to secure the necessary supply of these unique plant proteins to meet the increasing demand and create stable pricing for its customers. Nepra is expecting demand for the product over the next 12 months to be in excess of 900,000 lbs.

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