[Academic-Industrial Collaboration] Tokyo Denki University Handa Lab and UMAMI UNITED JAPAN Start Joint Research on Functional Reproduction of Plant-Based Egg Alternatives

Tokyo Denki University (President: Tadahiko Ibamoto) and UMAMI UNITED JAPAN (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Hiroto Yamasaki) have announced the start of joint research on technology for reproducing egg functions using plant-based materials.

Through this research, they will scientifically clarify and reconstruct the functions of eggs, which play a crucial role in food processing, and accelerate the development of sustainable, next-generation food materials.

### Background of Academic-Industrial Collaboration Eggs are essential food materials with diverse functions such as foaming, gelling, and emulsifying, playing an indispensable role in a wide range of products including confectionery, bread, and processed foods. Beyond flavor and nutrition, eggs serve as a fundamental material providing physical properties, acting as an infrastructure supporting global dietary habits.

On the other hand, in recent years, bird flu outbreaks and rising feed prices have caused global concerns over egg supply instability and price hikes. In response, R&D for plant-based egg alternatives is progressing, but reproducing the complex functionality of eggs remains a technical challenge.

This research aims to develop new technologies that highly reproduce the multifunctional nature of eggs by fusing the academic knowledge of Professor Akihiro Handa, who has studied the physical functions of egg proteins, with the plant-based functional material development technology of UMAMI UNITED JAPAN.

### Content of the Joint Research The research will primarily focus on the following themes: - Development of manufacturing processes for plant-based egg alternative foods. - Research on functional characteristics of plant-based protein-based egg alternative materials and their effects on quality when added to foods.

Through these efforts, they aim to reconstruct the functions that were previously difficult to reproduce in conventional alternatives, providing new options for the food industry.

### Comment from Professor Akihiro Handa, Tokyo Denki University Eggs are superior in thermal coagulation, foaming, and emulsification, and are used in various processed products...