Lab-grown eggs are secretly sold in US stores
A yeast-made egg-white protein called OvoPro, produced by The EVERY Company, is used as an ingredient in some packaged foods sold in the United States, and the FDA raised no questions about the company's safety notice in 2023. It is not a whole egg, it is not grown from animal cells, and there is no evidence that brands leave it off ingredient lists.
What we know
In October 2026, Facebook videos claimed that 'lab-grown eggs' approved by the federal government were being sold at Walmart and Target and quietly added to products. Snopes examined the claim on October 9, 2026 and rated it a mixture of true, false and undetermined elements.
The product behind the videos is OvoPro, an egg-white protein made by The EVERY Company, formerly Clara Foods. It is produced by precision fermentation: a yeast, Komagataella phaffii, is given the genetic instructions for an egg-white protein and makes it in fermentation tanks, after which the protein is separated and dried into a powder. The company says no animal cells and no chicken are involved at any point. 'Lab-grown' usually describes meat or other products grown from animal cells, which this is not, and it is a protein ingredient, not a whole egg with a yolk and a shell.
The regulatory claim is also imprecise. The FDA does not approve food ingredients the way it approves drugs. A company can conclude that an ingredient is 'generally recognized as safe' (GRAS) and notify the agency. The FDA's public inventory shows two such notices from the company: GRN 967, for a soluble egg-white protein, closed on September 9, 2021, and GRN 1104, for egg-white protein produced by the yeast, closed on October 17, 2023. In both cases the FDA's response was that it had no questions about the company's conclusion. That is not the same as an approval.
On availability, the company announced in March 2026 that consumers could buy the protein through the retailer Healthier Comforts and through Amazon, and said in June 2026 that it was being used as an ingredient in products sold at Walmart and Target. Snopes could not confirm the specific products shown in the video. Shoppers would meet it inside packaged foods such as baked goods or protein products, not in an egg carton.
The claim of secrecy does not hold up. Federal rules (21 CFR 101.4) require packaged foods to list their ingredients, and Snopes found no evidence that brands were leaving this one out. The trade name OvoPro normally does not appear on retail packs; the company suggests wording such as 'egg white protein (from fermentation)' or 'animal-free egg white protein', and the final wording is chosen by each food maker. People who want to avoid it can look for those terms.
One point matters for people with egg allergy. In its 2023 notice the company told the FDA that the protein is equivalent to a known egg-white allergen and will likely trigger reactions in egg-allergic consumers, so food allergen labeling applies to all products that contain it. 'Animal-free' does not mean safe for someone who is allergic to eggs.
Common claims
- Lab-grown eggs are sold in cartons at Walmart and Target.False. The product is a protein ingredient used in packaged foods, not a whole egg.
- An animal-free egg protein is in some foods sold in US stores.True. The EVERY Company says products containing its protein are sold through major retailers.
- The FDA approved lab-grown eggs.Misleading. The FDA issued 'no questions' letters on GRAS notices in 2021 and 2023, which is not an approval.
- Brands hide the ingredient from shoppers.Not supported. Ingredients must be listed; the trade name usually does not appear, but the ingredient does.
- The protein is grown from chicken cells.False. It is made by yeast fermentation with no animal cells.
- Animal-free egg protein is safe for people with egg allergy.False. The maker told the FDA it will likely cause reactions in egg-allergic people.
Evidence hierarchy
All sources
- GRAS Notice GRN 1104: Egg-white protein produced by Komagataella phaffiiU.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2023
- FDA response letter to GRAS Notice GRN 1104U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2023
- GRAS Notice GRN 967: Soluble egg-white protein produced by Komagataella phaffiiU.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2021
- Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- 21 CFR 101.4: Food; designation of ingredientsElectronic Code of Federal Regulations
- Are lab-grown eggs being sold in US stores? Here are the factsSnopes · 2026