Have you ever heard someone say, “I was too busy at work today to stop for lunch,” or perhaps even said this to yourself?
In fact, a recent survey has shown that, among millennials, 63% of respondents reported that they were replacing meals with snacks. Snacking has become one of the top global consumer trends, and offers a fantastic opportunity for the egg sector.
Hard-boiled eggs the ideal snack?
From a nutritional standpoint, we know that eggs are a great source of animal protein, containing 6-7 grams of high-quality protein. Of all foods, they provide the best profile for essential amino acids, the small protein-building blocks that humans cannot synthesize and so must find in their diets.
Combined with 98% digestibility, eggs have the highest biological value of any single food protein, a testimony of how efficiently these egg proteins, after absorption, are able to convert into body tissues.
In addition, some studies have also shown that the consumption of eggs is able to maintain satiety for a longer when compared with, for example, a bagel. A healthy food that keeps you satisfied for longer is an ideal snack, indeed.
Maximizing returns
From a business standpoint, hard-boiled eggs are a blessing for egg producers and marketers.
In many countries, consumers have a strong preference for large or extra-large caliber shell eggs, often leaving producers with inventories of medium or small eggs which can be difficult to sell at a reasonable profit.
The production of hard-boiled eggs allows them to use these eggs and maximize their returns from all the eggs produced by a flock, regardless of size. Medium-size eggs are the ideal candidate for snack foods.
The production of hard-boiled eggs has become quite simple and standardized. Over the past 20 years, manufacturers of egg processing equipment have automated the processes for boiling, cooling and peeling eggs, and it is possible to produce up to 20,000 peeled, hard-boiled eggs per hour without much extra labor, thus minimizing production costs.
You can also use a wide range of eggs such as organic, free range or omega 3-enriched eggs or use brine solutions to impart a specific flavor, thus creating a complete line of hard-boiled egg snacks. Again, this is the ideal situation for getting more profits and nutrition out of these otherwise “unwanted” eggs.
Consumer appeal
Over the past five years, the hard-boiled egg market has been growing tremendously in North America.
Initially, demand for hard-boiled eggs was driven by the foodservice sector, with eggs used for salad bars and as an ingredient in sandwiches. Chefs and restaurants dealing with large numbers of customers welcomed this new alternative, which saved them time and labor while reducing the probability of food safety issues.
The snacking wave has also reached the retail sector, with many grocery stores offering a deli counter located conveniently close to the entrance of stores so that consumers can easily grab some food and go.
Hard-boiled eggs can now also be purchased at service stations on busy highways, satisfying the appetite of hurried travelers.
Looking farther south, Argentina’s industry association, CAPIA, developed a marketing campaign few years ago to target the snack food segment. Comparing the egg to an apple or a yogurt, favorite snack foods taken to the school or office, egg consumption increased by 16% over two years alone.
With snacking now established as a long-term consumer trend, hard-boiled eggs are indeed the way to go.
