Animal-free egg protein startup Onego Bio is closer to cracking the egg market

Ethical motivation for egg alternatives

• Some welcome animal-free egg protein as a way to reduce mistreatment of animals and factory farming harms.
• Others argue it’s a privileged focus compared to immediate global hunger and see R&D money as misallocated; counterpoint: this R&D is not zero-sum with food aid and could eventually lower costs.

Nutrition, vitamins, and “society collapse” claims

• One commenter claims society would collapse without animal products; others call this unsubstantiated and note that many function well without them.
• There’s broad agreement that nutrition science has uncertainties, but evidence exists that vegan diets can work with planning and sometimes supplementation (e.g., B12).
• Concern is raised that “artificial proteins” might lack vitamins; replies say fortification is straightforward and pure protein can make balancing vitamins easier.

Protein sources, cost, and practicality of vegan diets

• Long subthread on whether vegan diets can deliver enough protein without excess calories or cost.
• In some regions, tofu and protein isolates are reported as far more expensive than chicken; others cite cheap tofu/legumes elsewhere.
• Beans, lentils, chickpeas, seitan, TVP, tempeh, and protein powders are discussed as options; disagreement over whether you inevitably end up eating “too many” carbs/fats.
• Athletes and higher-protein targets provoke debate: some say vegan high-protein is hard without processed products; vegan athletes counter it’s feasible with planning.

Economics and pricing of fungal ovalbumin

• Many see price parity with eggs as the decisive factor; without transparent pricing, announcements are viewed skeptically.
• Some argue microbe-based albumen should eventually beat chickens on efficiency, especially for industrial users, but actual cost trajectory is “unclear.”
• Note that most egg consumption in rich countries is via centralized industrial supply chains, despite backyard romanticism.

Environmental and systemic impacts

• Comments highlight externalities (waste runoff, climate impacts) and subsidies that make animal products appear cheaper than their true social cost.
• Alternative proteins could compete better if these externalities were priced in.

Culture, taste, and acceptance

• Some see synthetic replacements as a TESCREAL-style obsession dismissive of culture and food traditions.
• Others emphasize these are optional alternatives, mainly for processed foods where functional equivalence (albumen behavior) matters more than tradition.

Backyard chickens and welfare

• Backyard flocks are praised for eggs, pest control, and recycling scraps, but ethical issues around culling male chicks are noted, even for “ethical” small-scale setups.
• Emerging in-ovo sexing tech and bans on chick culling in some countries are mentioned as partial solutions.

Technical and allergy notes

• Onego’s product is described as “bioidentical” ovalbumin; whether this avoids egg allergies is raised but remains unclear in the thread.
• It is albumen-only, so not a full egg replacement for all recipes (e.g., custards that need yolk).