Campden BRI is launching a project to investigate non-allergenic egg replacements.

The consultancy is inviting companies to join the club project, which will look at the replacement of egg in food projects with non-allergenic ingredients from natural sources.

Led by Campden BRI’s Tiia Morsky and Laura Sherwood, the project will help manufacturers of bakery products, meat replacements, chilled desserts and confectionery, as well as ingredient and equipment suppliers.

Campden BRI said those contributing to the project would be able to help steer the research and utilise the findings within their own businesses.

With veganism booming and awareness of allergens increasing due to a number of high-profile incidents, including the death of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, more food businesses are looking to replace eggs in their products.

However, this presents challenges, particularly as eggs bring a number of properties to baked goods such as structure, texture, colour and taste which can be difficult to replicate with alternatives.

Natural alternatives include aquafaba (the water chickpeas have been cooked in) as well as a combination of chia and flax seeds with water. However, these are only useful in certain applications.

To find out more about the challenges of replacing egg in bakery recipes, British Baker subscribers can read out latest feature here.