Corbion navigates volatile egg prices with replacement ingredients for bread and buns

Corbion has unveiled two egg substitutes to help bakery manufacturers mitigate the risks of fluctuating egg costs by reducing their reliance on the ingredient. The move expands its portfolio of egg replacement products, which includes whole egg extenders, egg white substitutes, and allergen-friendly egg wash alternatives.

The ingredients, Vantage 12E and Vantage 11E, give bakery manufacturers the “flexibility, consistency, and cost efficiency” needed to maintain product quality while adapting to market uncertainties, notes the company.

Vantage 11E is marketed as a “complete egg replacement” in bread and bun applications without the need for reformulation. Meanwhile, Vantage 12E allows manufacturers to reduce dried or liquid whole eggs “by up to 40%” in cakes and sweet goods.

“The instability of egg availability presents significant challenges for bakery manufacturers,” says Abby Ceule, VP of Functional Ingredients at Corbion.

“With our patent-pending Vantage solutions, we’re providing reliable alternatives that enable our customers to retain control over their formulations while ensuring the exceptional taste, texture, and structure that consumers love.”

Ensuring production efficiency

Corbion’s innovations improve baked products’ moisture retention, structure, and mouthfeel to meet consumer expectations. They also offer bakeries cost savings and supply stability.

The ingredients are aimed at helping bakery manufacturers enhance production planning and drive consistency “even in uncertain market conditions.”

“Corbion is focused on helping bakery manufacturers meet today’s challenges with practical, effective ingredient solutions,” says Ceule.

Egg prices are the “most volatile category” the USDA tracks.“With Vantage 12E and 11E, we’re offering more ways to manage supply uncertainty while maintaining the quality their customers expect.”

The ingredients are currently limited to North America.

Pricing pushes alt-innovation

In December, the prices of a dozen eggs spiked by 65%, with the national average price hitting US$4.15, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Egg prices are the most volatile category tracked by the US Department  of Agriculture (USDA), which says HPAI contributes to elevated egg prices by reducing egg-layer flocks and egg production. 

Farm-level egg prices are predicted to increase 164% in 2025, with a prediction interval of 47.6 to 440.7%, notes the USDA.

The supply chain challenges that come with these price hikes and diseases like avian flu are urging innovators to work on replacing eggs, which help bind, clarify, emulsify, glaze, thicken and aerate various food products.

Companies are also exploring egg alternatives in other formulations, such as sauces and dressings, where eggs impart texture. For instance, Ingredion has developed citrus fiber texturizers to replace eggs, modified starches, tomato solids, and fats and oils to meet consumer preferences for clean labels in such products.

UK brand Crackd also rolled out plant-based eggs in the US, eyeing alternatives that alleviate disruption in egg supplies.