Egg-Free Cooking and Baking: Practical Welfare-Motivated Choices

Eggs are used extensively in cooking and baking. Understanding effective egg alternatives helps people reduce egg consumption without sacrificing culinary outcomes.

Key Facts

Approximately 80 billion eggs are produced annually worldwide, predominantly from laying hens
Even cage-free and free-range systems involve killing male chicks and slaughtering spent hens at a fraction of their natural lifespan
Flax eggs, chia eggs, aquafaba, and commercial egg replacers perform well in baking applications
JUST Egg and similar products using mung bean protein are commercially available and achieve cooking results similar to scrambled eggs
In-ovo sexing technology that identifies chick sex before hatching is eliminating male chick culling in some markets
Reducing egg consumption is a welfare improvement for laying hens regardless of the production system used

Welfare Considerations

Egg production involves welfare harms across all systems: male chick killing at hatch, spent hen slaughter at a fraction of natural lifespan, and in most systems, confinement that prevents natural behaviours. Cage-free and free-range systems are improvements but do not eliminate these welfare costs. Reducing egg consumption through plant-based alternatives removes demand from this system. The availability of high-quality egg alternatives has improved substantially — aquafaba works exceptionally well in meringues and some baking, while commercial egg replacers and liquid plant egg products work for scrambles and omelettes. Practical cooking knowledge enables welfare-motivated choices without sacrificing quality.

What You Can Do

Experiment with egg alternatives including flax eggs, chia eggs, and aquafaba in baking
Try commercial plant-based egg products for scrambles and other cooked applications
Reduce egg consumption where possible as a direct welfare improvement for laying hens
Support in-ovo sexing technology adoption as a welfare improvement within egg production
Engage with egg producers and retailers about welfare standards for laying hens in their supply chains