Egg whites hard to separate from breakfast profits

Healthful and convenient egg white patties are well targeted for breakfast food sales growth

Breakfast has been a bright spot for food retailers recently and a growing number of chains have been competing aggressively for the morning customer. A growing number of quick-service operators have said they are adding breakfast or beefing up morning menu options. For food retail outlets looking to grow breakfast sales, healthfulness and convenience are huge consumer drivers. Egg white patties can serve as a great foundational component for healthy and convenient breakfast sandwich options.   

Chicago-based Mintel projects an industry wide 4.1 percent increase in total breakfast sales in 2011. It also found:

• Two-thirds of restaurant goers say they want more healthful breakfast options
• 50 percent said convenience is an important factor in selecting a breakfast spot
• 39 percent of respondents said morning menu selections at their local dining spots are too unhealthy
• During the week, breakfast sandwiches are the most popular breakfast choice, selected by 42 percent of restaurant goers¹

Compared to a full egg sandwich component, egg white patties have reduced fat, calories and cholesterol. They are also one of the most common healthful breakfast sandwich components on new breakfast menus. 

Cargill asked one of their foodservice customers if they had ever considered egg white patty breakfast sandwiches as a menu option. This food outlet was serving and promoting premium breakfast food but they didn’t have a focus on healthful menu items.

There was immediate interest. The customer asked for several egg white patty product development projects, as homework for Cargill.  They saw the appeal of egg white patties beyond simply better nutrition; it would provide a clean label compared to egg replacement products and it put their company “on or beyond trend.”  

They found their ideal egg white patty sandwich solution in Cargill’s second round of prototypes. The egg white patty featured reduced fat and cholesterol, as expected, compared to full egg patties. The ingredients included egg whites and a stabilizer blend that includes: modified food starch, carrageenan and salt.

Along with the product solution, Cargill also provided flexibility in packaging and accommodated their need for smaller package counts. Cargill was accustomed to package counts of 150 but the customer needed it in 50 count containers.

These entry point egg white sandwiches have been a breakfast food growth driver for this customer and they plan to expand both their line of healthful sandwiches and their ingredient relationship with Cargill.

¹Mintel Oxygen Reports. “Healthier breakfast items the order of the day”, Feb 2011. http://www.nrn.com/article/mintel-customers-want-healthful-convenient-breakfasts#ixzz1TV32LOvZ