JUST Egg introduces new formulation on the heels of breakfast burrito launch

Made from a mung-bean base, JUST Egg’s v5 version is the company’s most significant reformulation since its launch in 2019. JUST Egg stated that the revamped formulation will better suit cooking and baking applications with improved binding and aeration, providing both vegan and non-vegan consumers with more versatility.

JUST Egg’s Co-founder and CEO, Josh Tetrick​, said that v5 “represents a huge step towards” creating a tastier and better-for-you egg that “has the same or better functionality than a conventional egg.”

The new formula maintains the existing ingredient list while featuring an updated, cold-processed mung bean base. According to the company, v5 was developed while attempting to simplify the manufacturing process for its pourable egg in its Appleton, Minn. facility. The resulting product “is a streamlined process” with an improved taste and functionality.

JUST Egg v5 is available in the egg section in retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Walmart, Target and Kroger.

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Addressing the taste gap in plant-based breakfast burritos​

Launched in May, JUST Egg’s Breakfast burritos was a long time coming, Matt Riley, chief revenue officer, Eat Just, told FoodNavigator-USA. The company launched two flavors featuring plant-based JUST Egg in the Southwest burrito with rice, beans, poblano peppers and chipotle sauce, and the Skillet features roasted potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms and dill.

Each burrito has 10+ grams of plant-based protein and contains no soy, egg, added sugar, artificial flavors or GMOs. 

“We have wanted to create a JUST Egg breakfast burrito for many years, partially because many of our fans have consistently asked for it, and partially because we know from consumer research and our own experience that most plant-based burritos on the market do not taste very good,” Riley said.

Each individually frozen burrito is filled and wrapped by hand, which “is a departure from traditional methods of making frozen burritos,” for an improved texture and flavor that allows for each ingredient to be more evenly distributed with each bite, Riley said.

He continued, “Adding fresh vegetables like broccoli, potatoes and peppers, and proteins like fluffy JUST Egg and black beans, was crucial for us as we know our customers deeply care about the quality and nutrition of the things they eat. Had we gone with the traditional method of making frozen burritos, many of those ingredients would have become unrecognizable, mushy and soggy by the time they are ready to eat.”

The burritos debuted in GIANT Stores and select natural independent grocers in May and will roll out in Whole Foods Markets nationwide in July, for a total of more than 850 retail locations, according to the company.

Frozen breakfast food sales decline, innovative ingredients and technologies may boost numbers​

Health and convenience drive consumers’ preferences for plant-based foods, and for breakfast foods, companies are grabbing an opportunity to implement novel ingredients and new technology for enhanced nutrition, according to data from Innova Market Insights​.

High protein makes up 30% of product launches claims and plant-based claims make up 9%, with only one in 10 product launches exhibiting a plant-based claim, Innova stated.

While frozen quick breakfast launches make up only 12% of the market and a negative compound annual growth rate of 9%, sales are promising in retail, with room for more innovation to drive the segment, based on Innova data.

With the national roll out this summer, JUST Egg plans to implement a broader marketing campaign that targets a wide group of consumers seeking convenient and healthy options, “like busy professionals and college students who we think will be the most interested in a flavorful, better-for-you, on the go breakfast with plant-based protein,” Riley said.

He added, “We know that more than 50% of people ages 18-34 and more than 60% of people ages 35-49 are interested in purchasing frozen breakfast burritos, so we hope that those significant segments of the population will give JUST Egg Breakfast Burritos a try this summer.”