18 Oct 2023 --- The Malaysian government has announced removing price controls on eggs, allowing market forces to determine them. In this way, the prices of egg products are no longer fixed and can be adjusted according to the changing production cost. This move, aimed at bolstering food security amid an Asian-wide egg crisis, follows a challenging year of supply shortages and price spikes in key food items.

At the same time, egg alternatives are beginning to become more popular in Asia as companies and brands formulate new plant-based offerings. 

In early 2022, challenges first began to arise in the supply of eggs, accelerated by  the increasing outbreak and spread of avian flu across Asian Pacific countries. Supply chain disruptions and higher feed and fuel costs also weighed in, leading to a regional egg shortage. 

At the same time, global wheat and corn supply interruptions due to the Ukraine-Russia war exacerbated the problem by raising poultry and egg prices.

The present Asian egg market
Currently, egg prices are still on the rise in many parts of the region due to supply shortages and high demand from the large population.

Singapore is also facing similar challenges in egg supply. To ensure a steady food supply, Singapore’s Food Agency has recently approved Turkey as another country to export chicken eggs.

The supply shortages have also impacted markets, including Japan and South Korea. Taiwan has also faced severe challenges due to outbreaks of avian flu. 

To address the scarcity, the local government has taken proactive measures, temporarily allowing the import of eggs and egg products from 12 countries, including  Australia, until June 2024. The island also resorted to importing 50,000 breeder chickens to help alleviate the problem.

However, recent weeks have witnessed several controversies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected 4,000 egg products after a local company mislabeled the expiry date of a batch of Brazilian eggs, which sparked concern among the Taiwanese public. 

Taiwan’s Premier openly apologized for the mislabeling of imported eggs. FDA deputy director-general Lin Chin-fu promised: “The officials will inspect the eggs to ensure they are not broken or rotten, and will also check the product name, the place of production, the expiry date, and who supplied the products.”

An alternative for consumers

Innovative solutions are surfacing to confront the challenges in the local supply of chicken eggs. 

In 2019, California-based food tech company Just launched its egg substitute product, which is made from mung beans, and expanded to China in the same year. The plant-based egg gained its popularity in the region for collaborating with US-style fast food chains.

The Germany-based Plant B Egg company, which produces a vegan liquid egg alternative made from lupins, is also planning to expand its presence in Asia. Last year, the company proposed its plan to obtain a patent in China.

This year, plant-based poached egg and plant-based yolk developed with proprietary technology by Float Foods debuted in Singapore. 

Meanwhile, the country’s vegan egg start-up, Hegg, aims to make plant-based eggs a local staple. 

“People who cannot or do not take chicken eggs can now enjoy dishes that traditionally use them.” Yau Png Ow, CEO of Hegg, talks with Food Ingredients First. “It is rather unrealistic to say that plant-based eggs are going to replac traditional chicken eggs 100%. The keyword here is providing an alternative.”

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The company’s Eggless Egg is derived from non-GMO canola protein. The main protein source in Hegg’s product is from the plant’s defatted meal during its oil conversion. 

“Specific to the health benefits, having no cholesterol, less fat, and low calories are key to influencing Asian consumers’ purchase decisions. Hegg ensures that these nutritious benefits exist in all our product offerings.”

“Delving deeper into the plant-based eggs scene, they foundationally come in either liquid or powdered form. We see powdered plant-based egg alternatives as the way forward, especially due to their long shelf life, ambient storage, and elimination of salmonella risks, which make it attractive for export markets.”

Plant-based eggs tailored for Asian tastes
Asian consumers may be skeptical of plant-based eggs due to the regional culinary culture. 

“Plant-based egg alternatives are often tied to a limited number of cooking applications. For instance, if the product can be used to substitute chicken eggs in baking applications, it cannot be used for scrambling and vice versa,” Ow points out. “There is only a limited number of products that cater to Asian cuisines.”

“We believe that versatility is offered to encourage consumer adoption, and as such, we created a plant-based egg powder that can be used for various cuisines and cooking applications, including baking, frying, scrambling, steaming, and as binding agents.”

“We have shown how plant-based eggs can be integrated into local cuisines through our collaboration with Killiney on the Eggless Kaya, as well as the launch of our Eggless Japanese-Style Mayo line.”