Baking & Snack - June 2022 - 51

FORMULATION
Egg Replacers
up to the
TASK
Partial or full egg replacements allow bakers to cut costs in the face of price volatility.
by Lucas Cuni-Mertz
W
With an incredibly wide range of functionality, eggs do a
lot of heavy lifting in baked foods.
" Eggs can serve many different purposes, including
maintaining moistness for shelf life, providing aeration,
emulsification, texture and structure, and influencing
color, flavor and overall appearance, " said McKenna
Mills, senior technical services specialist for bakery,
Cargill.
While this functionality is great for bakers looking to
make the perfect cupcake or cookie, the price volatility
of eggs caused by unexpected supply issues is not. As a
result, many bakers look to either partially or fully replace
eggs in their formulations, mimicking their benefits
without the price instability. They may also replace
eggs to avoid allergens or achieve a clean label.
" Removing eggs from a formula can remove an allergen,
save on costs, make storage easier and remove steps
in the production process, like thawing ingredients, "
said Rob Nordin, Southeastern sales, Brolite.
Extending product shelf life is another reason for egg
replacement.
" The shelf life of a dry blend that contains eggs is very
short, " explained Yanling Yin, PhD, director, bakery application,
Corbion.
" If no egg is used as one of the ingredients,
the shelf life of a mix could be significantly
extended. "
Replacing eggs can provide many benefits, but it's a
tall order in some applications. Cakes, for example, are
especially dependent on eggs for their structure.
" They make up a large portion of batter weight and
provide difficult-to-replicate aeration and foaming
properties, essential to the finished cake's volume and
structure, " Ms. Mills said.
Some applications are easier to reformulate, however.
Yeast-leavened products like bread and sweet doughs
don't need eggs to rise, meaning a full replacement is
possible.
" For example, in pancakes, which don't need much
rise or structure, it's possible to achieve total egg replacement
without too much trouble, " Ms. Mills explained.
" Complete egg replacement may result in some cracking
in cookies, but 50% reductions are often relatively
straightforward. In muffins, a 25% to 50% reduction is
possible, though bakers may give up some volume as egg
reduction increases. "
Handling price hikes
There are many reasons bakers may want to replace eggs
in their formulations, but price remains the primary
motivator for most of them.
" Cost reduction is the No. 1 reason bakers look at egg
replacement, bar none, " Ms. Mills said. " Eggs are a costly
ingredient, and as the current avian flu situation showcases,
they have a history of price volatility. "
www.bakingbusiness.com / June 2022 Baking & Snack 51
Replacement is
a tall order in applications
like cake,
where eggs are
critical for aeration
and volume.
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