The Every Co Proves Out New Animal-Free Egg White With Macaron Collaboration

The Every Co has announced the launch of its Every EggWhite, debuting a line of animal-free egg macarons via a partnership with high-end patisserie brand Chantal Guillon. Created using identical egg proteins, the company says the fermented product perform exactly like its conventional counterpart.

Macarons are notoriously high stakes in the patisserie and can be hard to master even with regular egg whites as the main ingredient. The successful substitution of Every’s animal-free egg proteins into products designed for discerning confectionary fans is significant. 

Function over flavour

The Every Co strives for comparable functionality with its products. It strays from the seemingly usual approach of looking to replicate the colour and flavour of whole eggs in liquid form. The San Francisco-based startup has already brought two products to market using precision fermentation: animal-free pepsin and Every ClearEgg, an almost invisible protein identical to glycoprotein found in egg whites. The latter is added to drinks to increase protein intake. 

All of Every’s GMO products replace a functional ingredient traditionally sourced from animals. It remains tight-lipped about the composition of the newly launched EggWhite, though albumin has been conceded. The main protein that helps with aeration, foam stiffness, and gelling, it was an essential addition unlikely to remain a secret.

“Every EggWhite tastes, whips and gels like a chicken-derived egg white to provide the same height, foam stability, aeration and texture needed for baking, and can be used in applications that span the gamut from cakes, cookies and breads to protein bars, plant-based meats and pastas,” Arturo Elizondo, founder and CEO of Every, said in a statement about the launch.

The icing on the cake

Chantal Guillon is highly regarded for its traditional French macarons. As part of the collaboration, the brand will offer a limited run of boxes of six Every-powered macarons to U.S consumers, via nationwide shipping. They will be available in dark chocolate, Earl Grey, passionfruit, pistachio, strawberry, and Tahitian vanilla flavours. In terms of aesthetics, they are identical to the brand’s regular offerings. Every claims they will taste the same as well, which is a sticking point for macaron fans who have previously used aquafaba and noticed a chickpea-like after taste.

Scaling for success

Every works exclusively with Ingredion for the distribution of its finalised products. Alongside, the company has a strategic partnership with food industry giant AB InBev. The latter is assisting with the development of a large-scale fermentation platform that will allow protein production to come in-house and be managed more cost-effectively. Manufacture is currently outsourced and on a smaller scale, creating a pricing hurdle. 

“Right now, we’re in the hundreds of thousands of liters of fermentation capacity but part of what we’re working with AB InBev on is unlocking the multi-million-liter capacity that will ultimately allow us to compete head-to-head with animal products,” Elizondo told FoodNavigator-USA. “It will be a few years until we can undercut the market, but that is very much where we’re headed.”

The egg (white) race

Also looking to corner the egg white market is Onego Bio. Part of the Finnish VTT Technical Research Centre effect, the startup recently announced it had closed a €10 million seed funding round for its fungi-based egg whites. Also manufactured using precision fermentation, the bioalbumen is reportedly ready to scale and looking for regulatory approvals. 

Over in Israel, InnovoPro has developed an egg white substitute using chickpeas. Not aquafaba, as is frequently used by home cooks, but a protein specifically found in the legume. CP-Foam 1001 is claimed to have a neutral taste and industrial baking applications due to the stable shelf-life of the powdered product.

Lead photo by The Every Co.