D. Julian McClements Considers Plant-based Egg Substitutes with 'Ars Technica'

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Eggs are more sustainable than many animal-based foods, but they still carry a larger environmental impact compared to most plant-based options. Additionally, industrial egg farming raises serious concerns about animal welfare. To address these issues, food scientists and innovative companies are working to create increasingly effective plant-based egg alternatives. 

Ars Technica recently spoke with D. Julian McClements, Distinguished Professor at the College of Natural Sciences's Department of Food Science, about the considerations that go into these efforts:

To make a plant-based egg, food scientists typically start by extracting a mix of proteins from a plant source such as soybean, mung bean, or other crops. “You want to start with what is a sustainable, affordable, and consistent source of plant proteins,” says McClements, who wrote about the design of plant-based foods in the 2024 Annual Review of Food Science and Technology. “So you’re going to narrow your search to that group of proteins that are economically feasible to use.”

— Ars Technica

Click here to read the article on Ars Technica.