Finnish food biotech company Onego Bio has partnered with Sigma Foods to assess the performance and commercial prospects of Bioalbumen, a non-animal egg protein.
The agreement centres on evaluating Bioalbumen, a protein produced through precision fermentation, as companies seek alternatives that can address instability in the global egg supply chain.
Both companies will study how the ingredient performs across commercially relevant food applications while also examining its potential role in supporting ingredient innovation.
Efforts come amid growing pressure on egg supply, driven by price volatility, supply disruptions and avian flu outbreaks affecting poultry production.
Bioalbumen is presented as an animal-free, shelf-stable ingredient designed to match the functional, nutritional and sensory characteristics of conventional eggs.
The product is also intended to provide manufacturers with a more stable supply option.
Onego Bio CEO and co-founder Maija Itkonen said: “Bioalbumen is a powerful tool to support ESG goals for global food manufacturers and strengthen product stability at a time when the egg industry is increasingly vulnerable to disease outbreaks and pricing volatility.”
As part of the agreement, feasibility studies, prototype development and application trials will be carried out to assess performance in food products.
According to the press statement, initial testing has shown promising outcomes, with Bioalbumen demonstrating nutritional properties and functionality comparable to eggs derived from animals.
Additionally, Andrea Nieto, product development manager at Sigma, will join Onego Bio.
Sigma CTO Gregorio De Haene added: “Our partnership with Onego Bio reflects our ambition to stay ahead of evolving consumer preferences by exploring innovative ingredients like non-animal egg protein.
“This collaboration allows us to further strengthen our sustainability journey while bringing new, future‑forward solutions to the table.”
The announcement follows another development in the sector earlier this week, when bitBiome signed an agreement to establish a biosynthetic manufacturing process for a high-value food-grade ingredient used in the flavour and fragrance industry.
The company did not disclose the identity of its commercial partner.
The project aims to shift production of the ingredient to a scalable bio-based platform designed for food-grade manufacturing.
