Vegan milk and meat alternatives increasingly find their way into the shopping basket, but also vegan egg substitutes have potential to conquer the market.  Amongst the best reasons to give up eggs are animal welfare issues. They are – regardless of the type of farming  – a well-known problem of mass production.

Going egg free

Giving up eggs would not only benefit animals but also the climate. The CO₂-footprint of chickens is below that of pigs or cattle. Still, vegan egg alterntives can help to safe land, water and CO₂  and are more sustainable than the original. 

Supermarkets already offer egg substitutes in powder form, which have to be mixed with water before use. They often contain the flour of legumes – such as lupins, peas, or chickpeas. The cooking water of legumes is used as egg-white substitute, the so called 'aquafaba'.

Scrambled eggs without chickens

Even scrambled egg substitutes can be purchased as liquid ready-made product in bottles. It is mainly based on extracts from legumes like chickpea or pea. The consumer only pours the product into the pan and 10 minutes later will be able to enjoy the scrambled egg imitation. According to the manufacturers, these alternatives are convincing in terms of sustainability and taste. One producer claims to save 68% of land, 76% of water and 85% of greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to the production of conventional eggs.

Market-readiness

Vegan (scrambled) egg alternatives are available in online-shops and supermarkets. A Berlin-based manufacturer collaborates with partners like hotels or cafés that offer scrambled egg alternatives on their menus.