Vegan organic egg substitute - MyEy founder Chris Geiser in interview

Which came first – egg or chicken? There has been no real resolution to date. What is clear, however, is that the consumption of eggs is out of date.

Fortunately, there are now plenty of plant-based alternatives. One of the pioneers in this field is the Tyrolean master confectioner Chris Geiser – he is the founder and developer of MyEy. With this, he can currently be seen in the Höhle der Löwen on VOX and presents a vegan alternative to whole egg, egg white or egg yolk, which can be used for cooking and baking and preparing dishes. The vegan- and organic-certified powders are available in 200 gram cans or 2 kilogram bags and can therefore be used for your own household, but also for large kitchens and bakeries. With its three egg alternative products, MyEy aims to make binding, fluffing and enriching dishes just as possible as it is with chicken eggs. For this purpose, a sophisticated recipe was developed for a long time so that the substitutes come close to the original egg.

In the interview, he reveals his favorite vegan recipes, tells us if the DHDL deal came to fruition, and how he sees the vegan shift in the food industry.

How did the idea for MyEy come about?

Chris Geiser: Back in 1999, I opened Europe’s first vegan wholefood pastry shop. At that time, there was tofu and bean sprouts, mainly for people from the health food scene. With my baking and cooking shows for vegan meals I stand already for decades on the stages – with the predecessors of MyEy so to speak.

What makes MyEy so special?

Chris Geiser: MyEy EyGelb is more about enriching food, increasing nutritional value, refining & improving crumb structure. Strong in taste – strong in color.
MyEy EyWeiß for foam masses, for whipping and everywhere where it should become quite airy.
MyEy VollEy – the all-rounder in the kitchen. Universally applicable.
The production is a special process where on the one hand the functionality for the enormous impact volume is achieved. However, influence must also be aimed at the typical egg taste while retaining the natural color pigments. But as with many things in life, as in the kitchen: The mixture makes it.

"My vision is for more people to realize vegan is(s) the future."

Chris Geiser Tweet

What is your vision for MyEy?

Chris Geiser: One day I was once again at a life farm holding a rescued emaciated laying hen in my arms. That’s when I knew I had to come up with an animal-free alternative, and I set out to develop a real plant-based egg.
At the beginning of the 90’s there was hardly any choice of plant milk and plant meat – today the program is amazingly diverse. My vision is that even more people realize that vegan is(s)t the future.

What do you answer to people who say "Vegan eggs? I'm sure it's all chemical and unhealthy!"?

Chris Geiser: The plant eggs of MyEy have natural ingredients and has been certified organic since the beginning. Many people also love MyEy because it doesn’t require gluten or soy. MyEy does not require cholesterol or animal fat for this, because MyEy is also Vegan Certified.

How do you see the food industry evolving in terms of vegan nutrition?

Chris Geiser: The development is very good, more and more companies not only claim their new product is vegan, there are more and more vegan certified products.

You can currently be seen on Die Höhle der Löwen. How did it go?

Chris Geiser: Very good! Of course, we were very pleased that three lions had a taste for MyEy. In the end, I decided on Nils Glagau. Above all, there was a certain human spirit, which inspired me to make the deal of 150,000 for 15% with him on TV.
However, since time with my family is very important to me, and since I still want to finish my master’s degree, it has simply not yet come to a company restructuring of MyEy.
I really got to know Nils and his competent team as likeable people and the format itself shows how many products there are that are really sustainable and points out: There is no way around vegan and the future is vegan.

Where do you want to go with MyEy for the next 5 years?

Chris Geiser: It continues with a healthy, organic growth of MyEy where the focus remains on quality, because the benefits of a real plant egg are obvious. And who knows what vegan surprise egg will be laid in the future. Until then, I wish the viewers and me, freedom for people and animals.

What are your favorite vegan recipes with MyEy?

Chris Geiser: I think the plum pavlova is really great or
Chocolate pear cheesecake with MyEy meringue topping or
Pastéis de Nata with Vonig from Vegablum
all to be found in our book “Vegan cooking and baking with MyEy“

How do you deal with the topics of sustainability and veganism in your private life?

Chris Geiser: Of course, we look for as much regionality as possible and as little packaging as necessary. The vegan lifestyle is sustainable in itself because people are much more sensitive to related issues.

What are your top 3 tips, for anyone who wants to eat vegan?

Chris Geiser: Look at vegan retailers – they have a great assortment.
Look for a vegan-buddy – they will support you in the first phase.
Do everything step by step – not everyone has changed everything overnight.

Finally, is there anything you'd really like to get off your chest?

Chris Geiser: That’s probably the best way to describe my closing sentence in the Lion’s Den: May all beings be happy.

Why do vegans not eat eggs?

The life of every chicken that is to lay eggs for the food industry begins in the hatchery. In so-called chick masters, which are machines that determine the temperature and time of hatching, the chicks are prepared for the day they are born. It is important to know that half of each hatch is male. Now the little yellow chicks are cute to look at. However, the fate of the male chicks is sealed the day they are born. Because they do not lay eggs. And unlike their male counterparts in chicken fattening, it takes too long to fatten them to a slaughter weight that can be achieved. Because they are therefore useless to the industry, they are sorted out shortly after birth and killed, either by gassing or shredding. There are 45 million day-old chicks in Germany every year.

It is important to know that it does not matter from which farm the eggs come. So regardless of whether they are barn-raised, free-range or organic, male chicks have to give their lives for almost all eggs available in Germany.