South San Francisco alternative protein startup Clara Foods announced Tuesday it is launching a new name and its second product in the B2B alternative protein ingredient market.
The startup, now called The Every Co., is introducing ClearEgg, what it describes as the “world’s first animal-free egg protein,” calling it a highly soluble and “nearly invisible” additive to boost protein in food and beverage products. It is developed via the fermentation process of microorganisms and follows the release earlier this year of its first product, an animal-free pepsin protein.
The company said the ingredient is compatible with kosher, halal and, of course, animal-free diets. It is intended for use in hot or cold beverages, acidic juices, energy drinks, carbonated beverages, or snacks such as nutrition bars.
The new product provides “unrivaled optical clarity” and a near-tasteless profile compared with other plant and animal-based proteins on the market, the company said.
The Every Co. isn't the first local protein startup to try to revolutionize the egg. Alameda’s Eat Just created a plant-based vegan egg equivalent, the Just Egg, purported to cook and soufflé like the real thing. Every's new product takes a different route to replace the egg, using "precision fermentation" to replicate its nutritional value as an additive.
For now the ClearEgg is available through the B2B space, exclusively sold through publicly traded Fortune 500 company Ingredion Inc., headquartered in Chicago. But it's not expected to stay that way for long: ClearEgg will also debut in the direct-to-consumer space later this year as a co-branded ingredient, the company said. The product is the first of several planned for its egg protein portfolio.
CEO Arturo Elizondo, featured on our 2021 40 under 40 list, founded Every Co. as Clara Foods in 2014. To date the company has raised $56.8 million and is developing a rare fermentation production apparatus at scale through a partnership with ZX Ventures, the innovation arm of AB InBev, which owns Anheuser-Busch.
Every plans to apply its fermentation technology to developing an “expanded range” of animal-free proteins for foodservice and consumer packaged good applications.
