Israeli startup Meala has debuted a pea protein powder that can replicate the multifunctionality of eggs in baked goods, offering a solution to the avian-flu-induced crisis.
With egg prices reaching an all-time high in the US and a decade-long high in Europe, food manufacturers have been left scrambling.
The demand for eggs has sharply increased, but anticipated price corrections have led some producers of powdered eggs to delay purchases, causing a supply gap. Combine that with the wider impact of food prices amid Europe’s cost-of-living crisis, and it’s a perfect storm.
Plant-based liquid egg products like Just Egg have seen sales soar in the US, with many bakeries switching to the mung-bean-based alternative. Now, Israel’s Meala Foodtech is aiming to replicate that success for the CPG bakery space with a single-ingredient egg replacer that has already garnered a distribution deal in Europe.
Called Groundbreaker, the pea protein innovation offers the same gelling, binding, emulsifying and foaming attributes of eggs – minus the chicken or the price volatilities.
“Our innovative texturising protein enables the baking industry to significantly derisk production,” said Tali Feldman-Sivan, co-founder and chief business officer of Meala. “Producers can stabilise costs, reduce exposure to price volatility, and avoid supply chain disruptions.”
A little goes a long way with Meala’s pea protein
Founded in 2021 by Feldman-Sivan, CTO Liran Gruda, and CEO Hadar Ekhoiz-Razmovich, Meala specialises in texturising plant proteins to enhance the taste, texture and nutritional value of a host of foods, while keeping costs low.
These solutions are designed as alternatives to ingredients like eggs and methylcellulose, which are common in the manufacturing industry, but have become problematic amid supply issues and the demand for clean-label formulations.
“Our proteins are produced through a proprietary process that elevates pea protein into highly functional ingredients. This process is green, environmentally friendly, efficient, and scalable – it avoids chemical modification or heavy processing,” Ekhoiz-Razmovich told Green Queen.
“This way, we preserve the natural nutritional qualities of the pea while unlocking multifunctional properties such as binding, gelling, foaming, and emulsifying,” he added.
Groundbreaker is described as a clean-label, allergen-free ingredient with “excellent water-holding capacity”. It can be used in sweet applications like pound cakes, sponge cakes, brioches, pancakes, and pre-made cake mixes, as well as in savoury foods.
“Our protein is highly functional, with a low inclusion rate,” Ekhoiz-Razmovich noted. “Only a small amount is needed in formulations to deliver great functionality. This efficiency can deliver significant savings – up to 30% cost reduction compared to eggs in applications like muffins.”
Meala in talks with global companies for Groundbreaker
The pea protein ingredient is offered to manufacturers in a powdered format, which makes logistics, storage, and handling “simpler and more efficient”, the CEO said.
Groundbreaker has already attracted interest from multiple companies, including packaged baked goods manufacturers and commercial cake mix producers supplying both retailers and bakeries.
Meala recently also entered a strategic partnership with a leading global ingredients maker based in Europe. The collaboration is built on an investment as well as a marketing and distribution agreement, and will open up a new, broad distribution network for Groundbaker.
“We’re producing at a scale that supports our current commercial activities, and we’re actively expanding capacity to meet growing demand,” highlighted Ekhoiz-Razmovich. “Our production is based in Europe, close to our customers through trusted manufacturing partners.”
He revealed that Meala has secured $8M in investment to date, and is about to open its next fundraising round soon. Plus, its solutions go beyond replacing eggs in baked goods. “Our first product for savoury applications launched in Europe a few months ago in partnership with DSM-Firmenich,” he said.
The Vertis PB Pea ingredient is designed to replace modified binders like hydrocolloids to make cleaner-label meat alternatives. “We have a strong pipeline of texturising solutions for the food industry, and this is just the beginning,” said Ekhoiz-Razmovich.
Meala is among a number of food tech startups offering innovative solutions to replace eggs in bakery products and plant-based meats. Eat Just, maker of Just Egg, launched a one-ingredient mung protein powder that doubles as an egg alternative.
Others, like Revyve, ProteinDistillery, and Yeastup, are upcycling brewer’s yeast (a byproduct of beer brewing) to make egg replacers for a range of applications, including baked goods and meat and dairy alternatives.
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