Brandon Foley 
Lab-grown eggs are on the rise/Photo by CDC
Rumors of “lab-grown” eggs being sold to the public have prompted anger and concern that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) may not properly warn consumers of the risks.
While there isn’t some grand “egg-based” conspiracy, there is a thread of truth. The California-based company EVERY, co-founded by Arturo Elizondo and David Anchel, used egg proteins called OvoPro and OvoBoost. The business is selling its specially formulated products to massive retailers such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
That said, it’s not scary chemicals being zapped by science lasers, as users on various platforms have been concerned about; it’s much more mundane than people fear. This company is relying on using naturally based technology to solve problems rather than trying to science one up.
As Every’s website clarifies, “This isn’t a fully synthetic egg with a shell and yolk like people were fearing. Rather, “OvoPro™ is a highly functional egg protein that replicates the binding, gelling, foaming, and whipping properties of conventional eggs.”
For curious consumers, Every lists its process and details how it derives the proteins without forcing animals to mass-produce their products. The situation is more akin to fermentation, making genetically modified yeast grow the correct raw material in specialized fermentation containers. From there, the company strains and filters it to remove any and all impurities.
By using ovalbumin to make OvoPro and OvoBoost, they can largely “remove the animals” that were required for the process. In fact, Every posits that they can reduce the need for eggs by 75% as their powders are similar enough to pass.
That said, Every had to prove itself to the government, establishing that they were safe. This process isn’t the same as other methods of approval. This is more akin to the business doing its own research with its conclusion and then asking if they could proceed.
The company would conduct its own research, and then the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would ask any questions about the product. They ended up issuing them a “no questions asked” letter, meaning they didn’t find anything worth raising questions about. So it is generally recognized as safe (GRAS for short).
This means that not only can the product be eaten straight up, but also mixed in for other items such as cakes, breads, or other recipes. It is worth noting that despite not “using chickens” there still is the matter of allergies. The company must be aware to clearly label any potential allergic conditions.
However, Every is not the only company with skin in the “egg protein game.” For instance, the Finnish-United States company, Onego Bio is another competitor in the market.
Maija Itkonen and Christopher Landowski are the brains behind Onego Bio. The third and final name involved is Eat Just Inc. Josh Tetrick and Josh Balk are the names behind Eat Just Inc.
