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Researchers from the Dutch startup, FUMI, have developed a plant-based alternative to egg whites using spent yeast from local breweries.
The animal-free product, created by Edgar Suarez Garcia and Corjan van den Berg during a four-year project at Wageeningen University – is said to hold ‘very comparable’ functionalities of egg whites.
‘Exceptional foaming power’
“Our protein-rich product can be used to make meringues, showcasing their exceptional foaming power,” FUMI’s website states.
“FUMI proteins show excellent gelling behavior and are able to form heat-set gels, which are similar to egg white proteins.”
‘An enormous step’
The duo also noted an ‘extreme reduction in CO2 emissions’ in comparison to chicken eggs – stating 4kg of CO2 is emitted for every kilogram of wet egg white that is produced.
“If you compare this to our process, you achieve over 95 percent reduction of CO2 equivalent. It is an enormous step,” van den Berg told Food Navigator.
He also hinted that several companies were interested in FUMI’s product – adding: “If you look at the Dutch mat replacement market, we are in touch with more than half of all producers.”
Aquafaba
Last year, former dairy brand, Elmhurst, launched a vegan egg replacer made from aquafaba – the viscous water leftover from cooked chickpeas.
Culinary innovator Cheryl Mitchell, Ph.D told VegNews: “With our focus on more sustainable, plant-based foods, it only seemed natural to look toward a primary food source as a solution: chickpeas.
“Aquafaba has the amazing ability to replicate egg whites in a wide variety of applications like egg-free meringue, mayonnaise, marshmallows, batter, and more.”
