Chicken-Free Egg Whites

Biotech firm EVERY has commercialized a breakthrough vegan baking ingredient: a shelf-stable powder that perfectly replicates egg white functionality. The product is created through precision fermentation, where engineered yeast converts sugar into ovalbumin—the primary protein responsible for egg whites' foaming and setting properties. Priced at $24 for the equivalent of 45 egg whites ($0.53 per serving), it's now available directly to consumers after years of B2B development. Early adopters report successful results in delicate applications like angel food cake, flourless chocolate cake, and Swiss buttercream frosting, with the powder whipping to stable peaks and setting with heat just like its animal-derived counterpart.

Beyond simple substitution, the powder format offers chefs and home bakers unprecedented control. By adjusting the water-to-powder ratio, users can create "less watery egg whites"—a feature that could improve reliability in humidity-sensitive recipes like macarons and enable new techniques like folding near-dry protein foam into chocolate. However, the product contains the same ovalbumin protein as chicken eggs, so it's not suitable for those with egg allergies (packaging carries clear allergen warnings). The innovation represents a significant step in alternative protein technology, applying fermentation methods pioneered for insulin production to the culinary world, and finally providing a functional solution for vegan baking at a price point approaching conventional ($0.21) and organic ($0.33) egg whites.