“When shopping, consumers see eggs labelled with ‘free range’ as healthier for them while supporting animal welfare,” Arla said in a statement. However, the company pointed out due to the bird flu situation, the US has been suffering from egg supply shortage since December, 2014.
This site previously reported that US egg pricing had returned to normal level in January this year following a surge sparked by last year’s avian flu outbreak.
“Egg use in foodservice is still increasing,” Arla added.
Head of sales at Arla John Kjaer, who is based out of Denmark, told BakeryandSnacks that European manufacturers have been pioneering in using free-range eggs, which put “huge pressure” on the bakery industry. Similar trends will also be seen in the US within the next 10 years, he added.
Arla said its latest Nutrilac can be used in various bakery applications, including pound cakes, snack cakes, and muffins, to improve their shelf life and soften their texture. It is also hormone free and non-GMO.
Asked whether plant-based egg alternatives impose challenges to Arla’s whey protein business, Kjaer said, “there are a lot of solutions in the market, but I can say that [Nutrilac] offers clean label and all natural ingredients to manufacturers.”