# Vegan Egg Alternatives Students from the University of Udine Created a Plant-Based Egg and Yolk By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2017-09-19 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vegan-egg References: [vegnews](http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=10091&catId=1) & [twitter](https://twitter.com/uniud/status/908252910672281600) When it comes to sourcing a [vegan egg replacement](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/meala-foodtech-groundbaker), plant-based consumers are most often forced to settle with products in either powdered or liquid forms that bear no resemblance to what chickens produce. However, a group of students in the Food Science and Technology program at Italy's [University of Udine](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/powdered-egg-white) have successfully created an entirely [plant-based hard-boiled egg substitute](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-patty-one-by-yo-egg). The gluten- and cholesterol-free egg is said to be made from "various legume-derived flours, vegetable oils, a sulfurous vegan salt, and a plant-based gelling agent." Now that the year-long project to develop the vegan egg has finished, the students are set to work with companies to gauge interest in turning the inventive substitute into a consumer product. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.5/10 - Popularity: 18% | Activity: 19% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Plant-based Egg Substitutes:** A growing demand for plant-based products presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for companies to focus on developing alternative formulations of eggs with sustainable and animal-free ingredients. - **Clean Label Ingredients:** The increasing consumer demand for clean label ingredients paves the way for companies to develop egg substitutes using whole, minimally processed plant-based ingredients. - **Sustainable Innovation:** The focus on sustainability in the food industry indicates potential for disruptive innovation in creating sustainable plant-based egg substitutes that are biodegradable and have a reduced environmental impact. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Food Science and Technology:** Food Science and Technology programs in universities have the potential to shape future food innovations, including plant-based egg substitutes. - **Vegan Food Products:** The growing market for vegan food products presents an opportunity for companies to develop plant-based egg substitutes to meet the needs of plant-based consumers. - **Food Manufacturing:** Food manufacturers can potentially collaborate with universities and research institutions to develop and mass-produce sustainable plant-based egg substitutes catering to environmentally conscious consumers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Plant-Based Hard-Boiled Eggs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plant-based-hard-boiled-egg.md) - [Plant-Based Egg Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-bridge-1.md) - [Mixable Egg Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plant-based-eggs.md) - [Legume-Laden Egg Substitutes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/egg-substitutes.md) - [Plant-Based Hard-Boiled Eggs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plantbased-hardboiled-eggs.md) - [Konjac-Based Egg Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vegan-eggs-umami-united.md) - [Pea-Based Egg Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/acremade.md) - [Plant-Based Japanese Eggs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ever-egg.md) - [Powdered Egg Substitutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/powdered-egg-white.md)