Molecular Sensory Guided Flavor Improvement of Plant-Based Egg

Driven by sustainability, health, and ethical considerations, plant-based egg substitutes are experiencing rapid growth in the food market. However, consumer acceptance remains limited, particularly because current products fail to replicate the characteristic flavor of cooked chicken eggs. To date, there is little scientific evidence explaining why this “flavor gap” exists and how it can be minimized.

‍From the Flavor Gap to the Formulation Strategy‍

To close this knowledge gap, the project conducted a comparative characterization of the molecular flavor composition of scrambled eggs and a commercially available plant-based egg substitute. In collaboration with Lovely Day Food, whose product served as the plant-based test material, the study combined a sensory evaluation with a sensomics-based molecular-sensory approach.

This holistic strategy revealed significant differences in the key flavor compounds as well as their natural precursors. This helped explain why it is difficult to achieve the typical egg flavor in plant-based recipes.
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Building on these new findings, the project developed a practical, ingredient-based strategy to specifically induce the egg-like flavor during the cooking process, rather than relying on added flavorings. The results show that a targeted selection of plant-based raw materials improves the authenticity of the flavor, enables “clean label” labeling, and can thus contribute to more sustainable product development.
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By bridging a key knowledge gap between flavor chemistry and formulation development, the project provides a transferable approach to improving the sensory quality of plant-based egg alternatives. Furthermore, it supports future innovations in plant-based foods that are attractive to and accepted by consumers.

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Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Life Sciences and Facility Management, ILGI Institute for Food and Beverage Innovation, Switzerland‍

Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Irene Chetschik, Research Group Food Chemistry
Collaboration Partner: Lovely Day Foods GmbH

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Final Report: Molecular Sensory-Guided Flavor Improvement of Plant-Based Eggs_Project Report

Publications in scientific journals:
Tran, Thi Khanh Linh, et al. "Decoding the aroma gap: Sensomics-based characterization of key odorants in plant-based eggs and chicken eggs." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 73.22 (2025): 13832–13842.

Tran, Thi Khanh Linh, et al. "Next Generation of Plant-Based Scrambled Eggs: From Decoding Precursor Gaps to Prototype Development." Applied Sciences 16.5 (2026): 2484.