Egg processing may have started in the late 1800s, yet the volume of eggs transformed today still only accounts for less than 10% of total global egg production.
Egg processing initially emerged as the production of egg powders, which made shipping eggs across oceans possible. Over the last 40 years, however, investment and innovation have transformed the sector from one that simply dries eggs or absorbs them in times of oversupply, to one that offers options to add value. This change has resulted in greater egg consumption and increased appeal to consumers.
Perhaps the most obvious evidence of the evolution of the sector is that, in many countries, there are egg farms solely dedicated to supplying egg processors, shipping output directly to the processing plant.
Foodservice
For years, growth in the egg processing sector has been driven by increasing demand from the food service sector, particularly from quick service restaurants, and from food manufacturers.
Liquid egg products that combine convenience with food safety, ranging in presentation size from 250 grams to 20,000 kilograms, have been increasingly adopted by these sectors, They now represent about 60% of the total egg usage by food service and manufacturing.
More recently, egg processing companies have invested in research and development to bring innovative ideas to market, targeting both foodservice and retail. Consumers can now find a broader range of egg-derived products in grocery stores including quiches, omelette wraps, egg-bite snacks and many other ways to eat eggs on the go.
In 2018, egg product consumption in many Western countries represented 25-35% of total egg consumption. In Japan, however, consumers ate more eggs in the form of egg products, 171 eggs, than as shell eggs, 167.
However, in many countries consumption of egg products remains extremely limited or even nonexistent.
In countries such as Russia, China and Malaysia, where annual per capita egg consumption is in excess of 300, the percentage of egg products consumed remains extremely low, estimated at only 1-3%. However, growth opportunities are possible as demonstrated by the 39% growth in China’s liquid egg production over the last five years.
A similar change can be seen in Canada, which has witnessed a 34.5% increase in egg consumption – adding 66 more eggs to per capita consumption – over the last 10 years. What is interesting in this case is that, within this outstanding consumption growth, more than half is attributable to consumption of egg products. Over 10 years, egg product consumption in Canada has grown by 66.7%.
Growth in egg product consumption has also occurred in other countries. In the USA, for example, it has risen by 16.2% over the last decade, in France by 13.4% and in Japan by 6.2%.
Innovations in the egg processing sector offer consumers more opportunities to enjoy eggs at any time of the day. Egg products recently launched are targeting the breakfast segment where the consumption of eggs is more prevalent but hampered by busy lifestyles.
With hard boiled eggs, the snack food segment, which is the rising star of the food sector, is also a target well within reach. The egg processing sector is able to combine convenience and healthy nutrition, both key buying factors for foods, especially with younger consumers. More countries should soon be able to join in and develop their own egg processing industries as egg processing can be as simple as cooking an egg.
