Kerry introduces egg reduction tool for cost-effective and sustainable baking

Kerry Group is launching a guide for manufacturers to calculate the costs and environmental footprint when using its enzyme solution BioBake EgR. The supplier introduced the ingredient last year to help decrease the eggs needed in bakery applications.

The egg reduction guide allows manufacturers to lower egg content in BioBake EgR recipes amid rising costs, animal welfare concerns and avian flu outbreaks.

The tool estimates potential cost savings, carbon footprint and storage savings in an increasingly uncertain egg industry, where supply and market prices remain unpredictable due to climate change and geopolitical instability.

“The bakery industry has enjoyed process technology advancements in the last number of years that have enhanced the manufacturing process at every step. However, variables such as avian flu and inflation are impossible to accurately control or predict,” says Deborah Waters, global director for enzymes at Kerry.

“Kerry Group has developed an enzyme solution to combat these issues and put our customers back in control of their raw material costs and improve sustainability ratings. Our Egg Reduction Guide directs manufacturers and industry leaders through the numerous benefits of opting for our scientifically backed egg reduction enzyme.”

Egg innovations

Tightened regulations globally are forcing manufacturers to consider more sustainable alternatives. Amid this, enzyme technologies can lead to clean labels for businesses. The BioBake EgR can reduce egg content — responsible for texture and processing — in muffins, croissants, donuts and other baked goods by 30%.

According to the company, the finished products maintain the mouthfeel and taste associated with eggs. The egg reduction guide helps manufacturers find the “perfect egg ratio” for specific products and recipes.

The EU has committed to phasing out caged-hen eggs, proposing a ban on caged farming across member states to be implemented by 2027. Kerry highlights that shifting from caged-hen eggs to costlier organic or free-range eggs would need bakeries to absorb the price fallout or lower the egg content in formulations to maintain margins.

Regulatory updates

Last month, the UK government eased rules for egg producers and packers this week, who will no longer need to change egg packaging labels during avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks.

With the introduction of the new amendment later this year, free-range eggs will continue to be labeled as such throughout mandatory housing measures to curb the disease.

In other news, The Every Company was granted the foundational US 12/096,784 patent last week to advance egg proteins produced from precision fermentation using its no-animal egg solution.

The patent includes wild-type ovalbumin variants with enhanced performance through various modifications and ovalbumin sourced from multiple avian species and production methods utilizing a range of yeast and fungal systems such as Pichia, Trichoderma, Saccharomyces and Aspergillus.