Egg whites are universally accepted as a healthy source of protein. But because they come from chickens, one could worry about animal welfare, the environmental damage wrought by industrial poultry and even Salmonella—since the Food and Drug Administration estimates that 79,000 Americans are sickened by tainted eggs every year.

Or maybe you’re just a vegetarian. Regardless, the way to solve all of these problems is to just make “eggs” from plants.

The market for such egg alternatives, once a fusty category targeted mostly at institutional bakers and vegans, is officially blowing up. One need only look around the grocery store for an uptick in the selection of “eggs” made from any number of ingredients decidedly unrelated to chickens.

But toppling real eggs isn’t going to be easy. Egg whites (the real kind) have long been the protein people refuse to do without because it’s seen as irreplaceable. Egg whites are the most efficient and allergen-light source of protein when compared with rivals such as whey, soy and pea. Moreover, food manufacturers rely on eggs because they add natural protein that’s flavourless and highly soluble.

Cholesterol, pollution and unhappy chickens notwithstanding, how do you replace something with all that going for it?

The first fake scrambled egg to market was VeganEgg, introduced by Follow Your Heart in 2015. That powdered-egg substitute was originally formulated with algae, but the company eventually swapped it out for soy powder.

But the dominant player in the non-egg space is Just Inc., a $1 billion enterprise previously known as Hampton Creek. The company launched its own liquid egg substitute late last year, one made primarily from protein derived from mung beans. The company said it has sold the equivalent of 3 million chicken eggs in the US alone, but there’s still a long way to go: The US Department of Agriculture reports that total egg production in the US was more than 8.5 billion in February alone.

CEO Josh Tetrick said the company has signed partnership agreements with major chicken egg suppliers that will manufacture and distribute Just Egg. The companies, he said, will build factory lines separate from where they process real eggs. Tetrick said he plans to expand into Europe later this year and eventually Asia.

“Most people don’t care as long as their cake is bouncy.”

Nielsen data show that traditional eggs are still a $7 billion business. Right now, the market for egg substitutes is largely limited to those used as a component in cooking, particularly baking. Until a consumer-friendly alternative is invented — a plant-based egg substitute that can be quickly used to make scrambled “eggs” or an “egg” sandwich, for example — the real egg market is unlikely to suffer.

“It’s about consumers wanting more choices and getting alternate forms of protein,” said Darren Seifer, executive director of market research firm NPD Group. “Eighty-six percent of people that use these [plant-based] products also eat meat. They aren’t vegetarian or vegan. It’s about giving choice to consumers.”

There is one more obstacle ahead for egg substitutes, however. Many natural egg consumers aren’t big fans of processed food. By definition, fake eggs are processed food.

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