Unlocking the Potential of Plant-Based Egg Analogs: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Strategies for Diverse Food Systems

With the growing demand for sustainable development and low-carbon living, there is a worldwide drive for plant-based foods, leading to a boom in this industry. In particular, due to the need for vegetarianism and the health concerns about traditional eggs, plant-based egg alternatives have received great attention from consumers. Plant-based egg analogs with a good texture and stability are essential for meeting the needs of a sustainable and balanced diet. Despite considerable effort, there are technological and nutritional challenges in modulating the properties of plant-based alternatives in different food systems, which require further investigation through both basic and applied research. Since egg alternative ingredients often provide only one or several functionalities of hen eggs, it is vital to clarify the functional characteristics imparted by plant-based eggs and the mechanism of different components in each application system. This review describes the product formation mechanisms and characteristics, and discusses improvement strategies when egg substitutes are used in different food systems, including gel, foam, and emulsion products. The roles of egg analogs in specific foods, as well as their future prospects, are summarized. The selection of suitable ingredients and strategies, such as protein modification, should align with the target functional properties required by different food systems for sensory and nutritional property optimization.