Egg-celent Byproducts!
Can upcycled egg components contribute calcium, minerals and collagen to other products? The American Egg Board and Upcycled Foods Inc. together explore new sustainable solutions for 2026 and beyond.
The American Egg Board and Upcycled Foods Inc., are investigating sourcing and process streams for upcycled egg shells (a source of calcium) and egg shell membrane (a source of collagen protein).
Which came first: the chicken or the egg—or upcycled egg byproducts?
Okay—so perhaps the “chicken-or-egg” is indeed an age-old debate. Nevertheless, there is new discussion about possible uses for upcycled egg byproducts. Prepared Foods Chief Editor Bob Garrison explored egg upcycling with Nate Hedtke, vice president, Innovation & Customer Engagement for the American Egg Board (AEB), and Dan Kurzrock, founder & CEO of Upcycled Foods Inc. (UP Inc.).
Vice President, Innovation & Customer Engagement
The American Egg Board
Image courtesy of Hedtke
Founder & CEO
Upcycled Foods Inc.
Image courtesy of Kurzrock
UP Inc., Berkeley, Calif., offers a broad portfolio of upcycled ingredients, starting with its own ReGrained SuperGrain+ (spent brewers’ grain) product. In this instance, Hedtke and AEB’s Eggcelerator Lab have worked with UP Inc.’s Upcycled Foods Lab Innovation Services since mid-2024 to review egg processing byproducts and identify new ingredient uses.
Just how big is this opportunity? Hedtke estimates that of an estimated 93 billion eggs produced annually, up to one-third are broken for further processing. Hedtke notes that egg shells are naturally rich and calcium and other minerals that could become food supplements. Meanwhile, the egg’s inside membrane is a source of fibrous protein and collagen type I, which could likewise support functional food and beverage applications.
Offering just one example involving egg membranes is Biova LLC. This Johnston, Iowa, company offers egg membrane-based ingredients that support human skin, hair and bone health as well as pet health.
Egg-celent Byproducts!
Prepared Foods Chief Editor Bob Garrison explores sustainable solution angles with Nate Hedtke, vice president, Innovation & Customer Engagement for the American Egg Board, and Dan Kurzrock, founder & CEO of Upcycled Foods Inc.
So, what’s next? Hedtke and Kurzrock say their partnership will pursue several areas of investigation in 2026. They include exploring identifying specific processing technologies—at scale—for commercial byproduct processing. Likewise, they will review market applications, market demand and investment requirements. Last but not least, the two groups will scout opportunities for open innovation and collaboration.
Learn more about the American Egg Board’s Eggcelerator Lab at: https://www.incredibleegg.org/eggceleratorlab/
Learn more about Upcycled Foods Inc. at: https://upcycledfoods.com/
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