UNDP Awards First Prize to Innovation of Plant Based Mock Egg by IIT Delhi Scientist

New Delhi: Innovation of plant based mock egg by Prof. Kavya Dashora, Centre for Rural Development and Technology, IIT Delhi has secured first prize at Innovate4SDG contest by ‘UNDP (United Nation Development Program) Accelerator Lab India’.

The award included a sum of USD5000 and was conferred online by Ms Christiane Hieronymus, Head of Economic Cooperation & Development, Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi and Prof K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt of India.

According to the UNDP, the mock egg innovation is a perfect innovation that will help in accelerating progress towards the SDGs.

The development of the mock egg meets the protein needs of the diet specific, health conscious, vegan and vegetarian people. This innovation addresses SDG 2 and 3 (Zero Hunger and Good Health & Well Being).

“The plant based textured foods which resemble egg, fish and chicken have been developed with an aim to address the longstanding battle for malnutrition and clean protein food for people. The mock egg has been developed from very simple farm based crop proteins, which not only looks and tastes like egg but also very close in nutritional profile to a poultry egg,” said Prof Kavya Dashora.

Apart from egg, the IIT Delhi scientist has also developed the meat analogues for chicken and fish from plant sources using fruits and vegetables. The products were tested on various parameters including appearance, taste, bite-size, texture, aroma, flavor, shelf life, nutritional profile and customer preference.