Beef and dairy substitutes are so widespread these days that it is often hard to choose which one to buy. As major food providers such as Burger King and Tesco partner with plant-based food companies, products that were once considered niche are now more accessible, affordable, and delicious than ever before.
While there’s lots to celebrate in the world of faux beef and dairy, a new, less-publicized vegan product has quietly made headway this past year- the eggless scramble made by Just Egg.
The scramble is a plant-based omelet that is surprisingly identical to its animal-based version. That’s because it is made out of mung beans, a legume native to Asia, and often used in both savory and sweet dishes due to its versatility. It is this ingredient, the company said that gives the faux omelet a texture that foams and cooks like eggs. Turmeric gives it the classic golden tint.
Just Egg made its debut in 2018, and since then has sold the equivalent of 20 million chicken eggs! In fact, its slogan is made from plants and not chickens. One of the company's missions is to end the suffering of chickens through factory farming of eggs.
The product is so popular that according to a study by global analytics company Nielson, it outsold vegan cheeses, yogurts, seitan, tofu, tempeh, and even soy and almond milk at one of the biggest US supermarkets. Just Egg recently announced that there will be a price decrease in May 2020, so the popularity of the vegan scramble is sure to increase.
In February 2020, the faux-egg manufacturer partnered with The Sodexo Group, an international food provider that serves 75 million meals a day at 34,000 different locations according to Vox.
Through this partnership, diners at college campuses, hospitals, office buildings, schools, and other institutions will have the option to check out the vegan scramble. This is a major development as it enables far more people to benefit from the egg substitute, which is cholesterol-free and protein-rich.
This eggless scramble is also significantly more environmentally friendly than its chicken counterpart. According to Sodexo, Just Egg uses 98 percent less water, 83 percent less land, and emit 93 percent less carbon emissions than a regular egg.
In fact, Sodexo’s partnership with Just Egg is part of the food provider’s sustainability plan called “Better Tomorrow 2025” which seeks to reduce its carbon emissions by 34 percent by the year 2025.
As a healthier, more sustainable, and animal-friendly option, Just Egg caters to a wide range of consumer preferences. By partnering with Sodexo, many more diners will be able to give it a try, even in their local cafeteria.
