NovoBake

Resilient and sustainable agrifood systems

With support of:

Plant-based alternatives to egg in biscuit production and baking

Why this project?

The plant-based bakery products market has been on the rise since the emergence of the protein transition. These baked goods do not contain any milk or eggs, which means they also offer a solution for consumers with milk or egg allergies. In addition, the price of eggs has risen significantly since 2021 (due, for example, to rising animal feed prices and energy costs and bird flu outbreaks).

There is demand from the sector of industrial bakeries and biscuit companies for more knowledge to fully or partially replace eggs in biscuits, Swiss rolls, cream puffs, pancakes, Brussels and soft waffles and egg washes without sacrificing the techno-functional and organoleptic quality. In NovoBake, HOGENT and Ghent University will offer practical knowledge on plant-based egg substitution in five types of biscuit and bakery products tailored for mills, ingredient suppliers, (industrial & artisan) bakeries and biscuit companies to achieve quality bakery products in which eggs are (partially) substituted by plant-based alternatives.

Methodology and expected results

The TETRA NovoBake study and associated experiments will focus on:

Compiling and translating the current situation related to available scientific knowledge on the techno-functional and organoleptic role of egg in bakery applications through a literature review
Compiling and translating the current situation related to the performance of existing available egg substitutes (both single ingredients and blends) in five different bakery applications through a literature review, baking research and sensory research
Establishing a set of marketing conditions, such as consumer acceptance, willingness to pay, expectations and target groups through market research
Gaining an insight into the cost, availability and origin of commercially available egg substitutes for bakery applications
Developing various roadmaps to achieve successful full or partial egg substitution in five different types of bakery applications through a Design of Experiments, baking research, microstructural research and sensory research.

The types of bakery applications studied include cream puffs, biscuits and Swiss rolls, pancakes, Brussels and soft waffles and egg washes.

Target group

The NovoBake project is aimed at the Flemish cereal and bakery sector and its suppliers:

Industrial and artisan bakeries: looking for plant-based egg substitutes for innovative bakery products.
Raw material suppliers: developing and supplying plant-based ingredients to the bakery industry
Mills and ingredient suppliers: providing custom flour and ingredient solutions for plant-based bakery products.

Project partners

HOGENT’s AgroFoodNature research centre will be responsible for the project’s management and implementation, led by Melissa Camerlinck (Engineer) (project coordinator) and the Department of Food Technology, Food Safety and Health and the Department of Agricultural Economics at Ghent University led by Prof. Dr. Ir. Filip van Bockstaele, Ingrid De Leyn (Engineer) and Prof. Dr. Ir. Joachim Schouteten. Flanders’ FOOD supports the project as a subcontractor in dissemination and valorisation activities. The project is supported by the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) and a supervisory group of companies and organisations.

Keen to join?

The project was launched in October 2024 and will run until October 2026 (project duration of two years). For more information or if you are interested in participating, please contact project coordinator Melissa Camerlinck (melissa.camerlinck@hogent.be). Participation is also possible after the project started.