‘Gone are the days of gritty protein smoothies with a grainy aftertaste…’ Animal-free egg protein from The EVERY Co debuts in Pressed smoothie

09-Nov-2021 - Last updated on 03-Jan-2024 at 11:54 GMT

Picture credit: The EVERY Company

'Animal-free’ protein startup The EVERY Company - has teamed up with cold-pressed juice brand Pressed to road test its highly soluble, "nearly invisible" egg protein EVERY ClearEgg, its second product produced via precision fermentation using genetically engineered microbes to produce animal proteins... without animals.

The protein will feature in Pressed’s Pineapple Greens Protein smoothie for a limited time at select Pressed locations in Los Angeles and New York (with more locations to follow next year), and can be purchased at pressed.com or the Pressed app for pick-up or delivery at participating locations, and via delivery partners such as UberEats.

The protein – billed by The EVERY Co as “virtually taste-free” – will add 10g of animal-free protein to the no added sugar smoothie, and will be listed on the ingredients list as ‘Egg white protein (non animal source)’.

While The EVERY Co (formerly Clara Foods) says the product is suitable for vegans, because it is made without animals, the smoothie will feature an egg allergen warning, as EVERY ClearEgg is bio-identical to a protein found in egg white.

“Gone are the days of gritty protein smoothies with a grainy aftertaste,” said The EVERY co-founder Arturo Elizondo, “or smoothies that need loads of added sugar, chocolate or vanilla to mask the flavor of the protein. We’re honored to partner with Pressed to make the world’s first animal-equivalent protein beverage made without using a single animal.”

Nearly invisible, nearly tasteless… No need to add sugar, flavors, to mask protein off notes

Claimed to have a “more neutral sensory profile than any leading plant- or animal-based protein on the market,” EVERY ClearEgg is able to withstand a wide range of temperatures and pH levels without denaturing, and is bio-identical to a glycoprotein contained in egg white, but is produced by The EVERY Company in a fermentation tank using a genetically engineered yeast strain.

EVERY ClearEgg enables formulators to add a “nearly tasteless” protein boost to hot and cold beverages, acidic juices, energy drinks, carbonated and clear beverages, as well as snacks and nutrition bars, and supports kosher, halal and animal-free claims, claimed Elizondo.

From a nutritional perspective, he said: “EVERY ClearEgg is a highly digestible animal-free protein source. Relative to plant proteins with an average digestibility of 70-90%, EVERY ClearEgg has high digestibility at 93%.”

The launch of EVERY ClearEgg comes hot on the heels of The EVERY Co’s first product: ‘animal-free’ pepsin, an enzyme traditionally sourced from pig stomachs that’s used in everything from digestive health supplements to the preparation of plant-based protein hydrolysates.

Both products are exclusively sold by Ingredion and available globally, said Elizondo, who recently teamed up with ZX Ventures, the innovation arm of brewer AB InBev, to help develop an industrial scale fermentation platform for its proteins.

Arturo Elizondo EVERY HQ — Arturo Elizondo: 'We’re honored to partner with Pressed to make the world’s first animal-equivalent protein beverage made without using a single animal.' Image credit: The EVERY Company

While the host microorganism is genetically engineered, the protein itself will not trigger a ‘bioengineered’ label

While it is produced by a genetically modified yeast strain, it “does not contain residual genetically modified yeast nor genetically modified DNA, so does not trigger a bioengineered label,” noted Elizondo, who secured a coveted ‘no questions’ letter from the FDA last month in response to the company’s GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) determination for EVERY ClearEgg.

Produced by a strain of Komagataella phaffii yeast, the soluble egg-white protein is a glycoprotein containing predominantly recombinant ovomucoid, explained the FDA: “The physical characteristics of the recombinant ovomucoid in soluble egg-white protein and deglycosylated native hen egg white ovomucoid are equivalent in molecular weight, isoelectric point, and glycosylation sites.”

After fermentation, the K. phaffii cells are separated by centrifugation and microfiltration. The resulting lysate is further purified using pH adjustment and ultra-filtration, and then dried to produce the final product, an off-white powder.

Pressed Juice with EVERY Co protein — While The EVERY Co says the product is suitable for vegans, because it is made without animals, the smoothie will feature an egg allergen warning, as EVERY ClearEgg is bioidentical to a protein found in egg white. Image credit: The EVERY Company

Interested in 'animal-free' proteins?

Checkout part two of FoodNavigator-USA's FREE 'Disrupting the Meat and Dairy Case' 3-part series, now available ON DEMAND.

Part 1: Where next for meat alternatives? From plant-based burgers to fungi-fueled bacon - featuring Kroger, Atlast Food Co, Nature's Fynd, Nowadays, Oterra, and Roquette

Part 2: Where next for dairy alternatives? From oatmilk to ‘real’ cheese (minus the cows) - featuring Danone, NotCo, BioMilk, Change Foods, RSSL, and CP Kelco

Part 3: Where next for seafood alternatives? From tuna to shrimp - featuring the Good Food Institute, Good Catch, Ocean Hugger, New Wave Foods, and Aqua Cultured Foods.