Driving Innovation Through the Eggcelerator Lab® Product Development Competition

Opportunity

The Eggcelerator Lab® Product Development Competition was launched two years ago to inspire student teams from universities across the U.S. to conceptualize and prototype innovative egg-based food products. The competition challenged culinary and food science students to create products that meet modern demands with shifting consumer preferences toward protein-rich, convenient, and clean-label foods while highlighting egg yolk in their formulations.

Approach

The Eggcelerator Lab® sought to inspire innovation by showcasing the versatility and nutritional benefits of egg yolks in the 2024-2025 Product Development Competition. The competition evaluated submissions based on criteria including marketability, alignment with consumer insights and trends, nutrition, and originality.

With food trends and consumer preferences constantly evolving, the competition supported innovation that tapped into trends like snacking, global flavors, and functional ingredients. Finalists were selected from a national pool and worked closely with food and culinary experts to refine their concepts through written reports, presentations, and sensory testing. Seven teams presented their products to a panel of judges composed of industry professionals and culinary innovators.

The winning concepts demonstrated how eggs can be used in a variety of formats, like shelf-stable cereals, portable snacks, and functional health foods—pushing the boundaries of eggs across categories.

Result

The winning teams included:

1st Place
Eggsential Cereal (Cornell University) – A shelf-stable cereal featuring crispy egg yolk pieces blended with chocolate, chia-coated chickpeas, and freeze-dried strawberries and bananas.

2nd Place
Grab and Grow Custard (North Carolina State University) – A high-protein cinnamon custard designed for on-the-go snacking.

3rd Place
Midas Bites (University of Tennessee) – Globally inspired chocolate truffles wrapped in delicate egg yolk threads.

The success of the competition validated AEB’s Eggcelerator Lab model as an incubator for next-generation product development, setting the stage for future challenges and industry collaboration. Through this initiative, the Lab continues to foster innovation and elevate the role of eggs in shaping the future of food.

About the Eggcelerator Lab®
The Eggcelerator Lab® is the innovation center for the U.S. egg industry, delivering new egg-based ideas to market. Powered by proprietary consumer insights and technical expertise, the Lab supports companies through every step of the product development journey using its signature O.V.V.O.™ innovation process.