82,000 Eggs A Day. Could Peas Do The Job?

Your next muffin could have a little less hen and a little more pea behind it. And if the texture holds up and the price makes sense, would you miss the egg?

Israeli company Meala FoodTech has more than tripled manufacturing capacity in France and Germany, preparing to supply enough texturising pea protein to replace the equivalent of 82,000 eggs a day in 2027. Its ingredients are already being used in plant-based meat products on European shelves. Now the company is expanding its bakery business.

For anyone who bakes, the challenge is familiar. Removing an egg is easy. Getting the cake to rise, hold together and deliver a soft, satisfying crumb takes more work.

Meala says it has demonstrated complete egg replacement in muffins, pound cakes and sponge cakes. Its protein provides binding and structure, helping deliver the functions manufacturers usually rely on eggs to perform. On the ingredient label, it appears simply as pea protein.

Then there is the money.

The company reports formulation savings of approximately 30–40% in assessed bakery applications, calculated using typical European egg prices. Those are savings within the recipe. They do not establish an equivalent reduction in total factory costs, or promise a cheaper cake at the checkout. Results also depend on the recipe and production process.

That leaves a fair question for food manufacturers: if replacing eggs lowers ingredient costs, how much of that benefit reaches the person buying the muffin?

Still, this is a practical proposition worth watching. A familiar food, made with a different ingredient, has the chance to earn its place through taste, texture and value.

For plant-based food, that is a useful direction. Give people a cake they enjoy, at a price they can afford, and let the next purchase tell you whether it works.

ENDS: