Chicken-free fermented egg replacement used as ingredient in packaged foods at Walmart, Target

Eggs made from yeast instead of chickens are making their way into grocery store products. In this case, the egg came first. 

OvoPro egg white protein is now being used in products on the shelves of stores such as Walmart and Target. The company producing the egg white protein said that in the first four months of 2026, they received 550 percent more orders than in all of 2025.

OvoPro, which is produced through precision fermentation, is being used as a substitute for hen egg-white proteins and whole eggs. The process of precision fermentation involves the use of the microorganism Komagataella phaffii, a type of yeast. The protein that the yeast produces is supposed to function as an egg-white protein. No chickens are used in the process.

The protein is being used in finished, packaged foods at Walmart and Target. The company that makes OvoPro, EVERY, said that the protein has been widely adopted through business deals, “including national placement in Target and Walmart, and to satisfy growing demand across e-commerce and foodservice channels.”

OvoPro protein can be spotted in finished products by identifying it on the ingredients list. The Dallas Express reports that EVERY has said they want to label the protein as “animal-free egg white protein” or “egg white protein from yeast.” However, they do not get to decide what will finally go on ingredient labels. Companies that use their product as well as the FDA will make that determination.

Although the protein is not directly from eggs, those that have egg allergies still have to avoid it because of the protein structure.

EVERY claims that the protein from their precision fermentation process “delivers exceptional performance as both a functional binding agent and a protein-enriching ingredient across baked goods, bars, snacks, confections, and pasta.”