Vegan eggs could crack China market amid coronavirus outbreak as food companies seek animal-free protein sources

A San Francisco-based start-up making imitation eggs from mung beans is fielding a wave of inquiries from some of China’s bigger food manufacturers. Just, which makes plant-based egg products and is already selling in the country, has received questions from Chinese state-backed food companies seeking animal-free protein sources amid the coronavirus outbreak , chief executive officer Josh Tetrick says. “Some of the biggest companies, larger food manufacturers, including some that are backed by the state government, are proactively reaching out … about now wanting to partner,” he says. China’s producers are viewing the current climate as a time for more quality-controlled food, he confirms. While Tetrick declined to name the companies, he says that authorities are trying to think about how to reduce the risk of future outbreaks by curbing China’s reliance on meat from confined animals. The country’s wet markets, where freshly slaughtered, unpackaged meat is sold, have been identified as a possible source of the outbreak that has claimed more than 3,200 lives and disrupted businesses in its global spread...MORE