Breakfast Onego Bio and Zen Waffles Partner to Expand Bioalbumen in the High-Protein Breakfast Market
Onego Bio, a food ingredient company specializing in non-animal egg proteins produced through precision fermentation, has announced a new commercial partnership with Zen Waffles, a Brooklyn-based food company focused on high-protein waffles. Under the agreement, Zen Waffles will use Onego Bio’s Bioalbumen® in its products, bringing the innovative egg protein ingredient into the growing high-protein breakfast and convenience food market.
The partnership represents an important milestone in Onego Bio’s commercial development in the United States. It also highlights the increasing interest among food brands in alternative protein ingredients that can deliver the nutritional and functional benefits traditionally associated with animal-derived ingredients while supporting evolving consumer expectations around sustainability and food production.
Zen Waffles has established its brand around convenient, protein-forward foods designed to combine nutrition, taste and simplicity. Its high-protein waffles are available directly to consumers across all 50 U.S. states and are also distributed through an expanding network of retail and wholesale partners. The company’s products can be found in grocery stores, fitness centers and specialty food retailers, including Citarella Gourmet Market.
By incorporating Bioalbumen® into its product portfolio, Zen Waffles is adding a new ingredient designed to provide high-quality protein while also supporting the functional characteristics needed to produce appealing baked goods.
Bioalbumen® Brings Egg Protein Functionality Without Animals
Bioalbumen® is Onego Bio’s non-animal egg protein, developed using precision fermentation technology. The ingredient is designed to replicate key nutritional and functional characteristics associated with conventional egg white protein without requiring chickens or conventional egg production.
Egg white proteins have long played an important role in food manufacturing and baking because they provide more than nutritional value. They can contribute to structure, texture, aeration, moisture management and browning, making them particularly useful in products such as waffles, baked goods, snacks and nutrition-focused foods.
According to Onego Bio, Bioalbumen® delivers the functionality and high-quality protein associated with conventional egg white protein while offering food manufacturers another source of protein. The company cites research published in Nature Food in 2021 indicating that its approach can have an environmental impact approximately 90% smaller than conventional egg protein.
For manufacturers and food brands, the ability to obtain egg functionality through precision fermentation could provide greater flexibility as they respond to changing supply-chain requirements and consumer interest in alternative production systems.
Protein Moves Into Everyday Foods
The Onego Bio and Zen Waffles partnership comes at a time when protein has become increasingly important across the broader food and beverage industry. High-protein products are no longer limited to traditional sports nutrition, protein shakes or specialized supplements. Instead, protein is becoming an increasingly common feature of everyday foods, including breakfast products, snacks, bakery items and convenient meals.
Consumers are increasingly looking for foods that combine convenience with nutritional benefits, particularly products that can help them incorporate more protein into their daily routines without requiring major changes to their eating habits.
Data cited from Euromonitor International indicates that U.S. retail sales of high-protein packaged foods increased by 25% between 2021 and 2025, reaching nearly $24 billion in 2025. The high-protein baked goods segment experienced even stronger growth, increasing by nearly 46% during the same period.
The performance of the high-protein baked goods category demonstrates the opportunity for brands such as Zen Waffles. Waffles and other familiar breakfast products provide an accessible way for consumers to incorporate protein into meals without turning to conventional sports nutrition products.
Zen Waffles Focuses on Convenience and Nutrition
Zen Waffles has positioned itself around the idea that high-protein foods can be both convenient and enjoyable. The company’s growing distribution footprint reflects demand for products that fit into busy lifestyles while providing nutritional benefits.
Eugene Komissarov, co-founder of Zen Waffles, said the company’s objective is to make high-protein foods convenient and delicious. He noted that Bioalbumen® provides a source of high-quality protein that can help the company make its products more nutritious and satisfying while maintaining the qualities consumers already appreciate.
The partnership is expected to support Zen Waffles as it expands its customer base and continues building its presence across the United States. Its combination of direct-to-consumer distribution and retail and wholesale partnerships gives the company multiple channels through which to reach consumers interested in protein-forward breakfast options.
Egg Protein Plays a Functional Role in Waffles
Beyond its nutritional contribution, egg protein plays a particularly important technical role in waffle production. According to Maija Itkonen, co-founder and CEO of Onego Bio, egg protein can help create the structure required for a light and tender waffle interior while also supporting browning that contributes to a golden and crisp exterior.
These characteristics make egg protein especially valuable in bakery applications. Simply increasing the protein content of a food does not necessarily guarantee that the finished product will maintain the taste, texture and appearance consumers expect. Functional ingredients therefore remain critical for brands attempting to develop high-protein versions of familiar foods.
Bioalbumen® is designed to address both nutritional and functional requirements. By providing egg protein through precision fermentation, Onego Bio aims to give food manufacturers an additional option for creating products that deliver protein while retaining desirable sensory and performance characteristics.
Itkonen said Zen Waffles has developed strong customer loyalty by demonstrating that high-protein foods can be nutritious as well as delicious. She described the partnership as an opportunity to work with the brand as it continues expanding its presence nationwide.
Precision Fermentation Broadens Food Ingredient Options
Precision fermentation is becoming an increasingly important technology in the development of alternative food ingredients. The process uses microorganisms and controlled fermentation systems to produce specific proteins and other ingredients without relying on traditional animal agriculture.
For food manufacturers, this technology can potentially provide new ways to obtain familiar functional ingredients while diversifying supply sources. Onego Bio is applying the approach specifically to egg proteins, with Bioalbumen® intended for use across multiple food categories.
The ingredient can be used in applications including bakery products, snacks, nutrition products and other protein-focused foods. Its versatility could allow manufacturers to explore additional applications as consumer demand for high-protein products continues to develop.
The Zen Waffles partnership therefore represents more than a single product application. It demonstrates how fermentation-derived ingredients can enter mainstream food categories through familiar products that consumers already recognize and enjoy.
A Growing Opportunity for High-Protein Breakfast Foods
The collaboration between Onego Bio and Zen Waffles reflects several major trends converging within the food industry: rising demand for protein, increasing interest in convenient nutrition, continued innovation in food ingredients and growing attention to alternative production technologies.
Breakfast foods are particularly well positioned to benefit from these trends because consumers often prioritize convenience during the morning. Products that combine familiar formats with nutritional benefits can offer an accessible solution for people seeking more protein without significantly changing their eating habits.
As Zen Waffles expands its retail and wholesale presence, the use of Bioalbumen® could help strengthen its position within the high-protein breakfast segment. For Onego Bio, the partnership provides another commercial application for Bioalbumen® and demonstrates the ingredient’s potential in a mainstream food product.
Together, the companies are targeting a market where consumers increasingly expect food to deliver multiple benefits at once—convenience, taste, nutrition and, increasingly, consideration of how ingredients are produced.
The commercial partnership ultimately illustrates the growing role of food technology in responding to changing consumer preferences. As high-protein foods continue moving into everyday categories, ingredients such as Bioalbumen® could play an important role in helping food companies develop products that combine familiar functionality with new approaches to protein production.
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