[Industry-Academia Collaboration] UMAMI UNITED JAPAN and Tokyo Denki University Handa Laboratory Begin Joint Research on Replicating Functions of "Plant-Based Alternative Eggs"

UMAMI UNITED JAPAN Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Hiroto Yamazaki; hereinafter referred to as "the Company") announces the commencement of joint research with Professor Akihiro Handa's laboratory in the Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University (President: Tadahiko Ibamoto), concerning technology for replicating egg functions using plant-based ingredients. Through this research, we aim to scientifically elucidate 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 Industry-Academia Collaboration Eggs are food ingredients with diverse functions such as foaming, gelling, and emulsifying, playing an indispensable role in a wide range of foods including confectionery, bread, and processed foods. Eggs are not only important for taste and nutrition but also as a fundamental material that supports product quality and manufacturing by imparting physical properties, making them an infrastructural presence that supports food worldwide. On the other hand, in recent years, global issues such as unstable egg supply and soaring prices have emerged due to factors like bird flu epidemics and rising feed costs. In this situation, research and development of alternative eggs using plant-derived ingredients are progressing, but replicating the complex functionality of eggs remains a technical challenge. Through this research, by integrating the academic knowledge of Professor Akihiro Handa, who has advanced research on the physical properties of chicken egg proteins, with the Company's plant-based functional material development technology, we aim to develop new technologies that more highly replicate the multifaceted functions of eggs. ## Content of Joint Research We will primarily address the following themes: - **Research on the development of manufacturing processes for plant-based egg alternative foods** - **Research on the functional properties of plant protein-based egg alternative food materials and their impact on quality characteristics when added to food** This will enable us to reconstruct the functions of eggs that have been difficult to replicate with conventional alternative eggs, aiming to provide new options in the food industry. ## Comment from Professor Akihiro Handa, Tokyo Denki University Keywords: Industry-academia collaboration, investment, alternative protein, food tech, academia, business alliance, research and development, food, startup, joint research