Capturing the Prize: the A$200 billion opportunity for Australia's food and agribusiness sector/ Food Security and Sustainability / Food fraud and safety
Utilising the rise of consumer interest in food security, traceability and provenance, through agile, responsive and fit-for-purpose systems to reduce food fraud or increase supply chain transparency, food safety testing and biological hazard control.
The Smoked Egg Company supplies smoky flavoured raw eggs. The smoky flavour is infused through the pores of the shells, pasteurising them simultaneously, killing bacteria and extending shelf life to five months.
It holds the world patent on the advanced smoking technique that stops the ageing process. It took years to find the perfect blend of time, temperature, humidity and volume of smoke, with the company founders developing the world-first chilled smoke technology in the process.
The sterility of the Smoked Egg Company product makes it a suitable choice for consumers who are traditionally wary of raw eggs, including pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone suffering ill health. However, this new product has universal appeal too. It is perfect for everyday cooking and recipes – at home and in the restaurant trade – but with the added benefit of staying fresher for longer.
They are available in Woolworths and IGA stores nationwide. The IP for the smoking equipment and process has been licensed to two businesses globally, including a multi-million-dollar deal with a US company.
The business credits its relationship with FIAL as being instrumental in its growth journey. FIAL funded food safety testing with CSIRO to understand the smoking process’s action upon the salmonella species. Tests showed no bacteria at 18 weeks of age compared to a regular egg with 21 million bacteria.
Joining an export conference in Milan helped connect the company with customers and markets, including a company that eventually went on to licence its process and equipment IP, and is now distributing the product across Europe.
Advice on commercialisation and upscaling has seen the company move to a new facility that has doubled the size of its operations. It has enabled it to commercialise its new liquid egg product – whites and yolks – sold wholesale in another game-changer for the food industry.
This case study is from FIAL's 2022 edition of Celebrating Australian Food and Agribusiness Innovations 2022
