KAIST team cooks up method to create liquid egg substitute

Meringue cookies baked from egg substitutes from micro-organisms. [KAIST]

A research team at KAIST has developed a method to create a liquid egg substitute with a comparable nutritional value to real eggs, opening the door to a possible stable food supply for situations such as long-distance space travel and war.

The university said on Thursday that a team led by professors Choi Kyeong-rok and Lee Sang-yup published a paper on the creation of an egg substitute based on micro-organisms.

While the development of egg substitutes made from non-animal proteins has been ongoing, none were able to provide the full nutritional value of eggs while also replicating the crucial properties of egg whites, such as gelling and foaming.

The latest research discovered that the gel formed by heating microbial lysates possesses physical properties similar to boiled eggs.

By adding edible enzymes or plant-based materials, various textures could be achieved for culinary purposes.

The team also demonstrated that microbial lysates could foam similar to meringue and were able to bake meringue cookies from the substitute. Upon tasting the cookies, it was indistinguishable from those made with real eggs, according to the university.

Microbial lysate is produced by breaking down the cell walls and membranes of microbial biomass, which has a high protein value similar to meat.

The entire process creates less waste and emits less carbon dioxide during production compared to factory farming, the university said.

The paper was published online on June 19 in npj Science of Food, a journal by Nature.

The background of the research lies in securing a sustainable food supply system amid falling agricultural productivity caused by climate change and rapid population growth.

“It possesses excellent nutritional components, making it suitable for regular consumption as well as for emergency rations in scenarios like long-distance space travel and wartime conditions,” Prof. Lee said in a statement.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]