That is why we have to be patient for the return of the Migros ice

Anyone who launches a new product with superlatives like “world novelty” and “sensation” should be measured against that. This did not prevent Migros from advertising its egg alternative “The Boiled” with exactly these grandiose terms in November 2021. That is now taking revenge: vegans have been searching in vain for a year for the plant-based egg on the shelves. An unprecedented marketing flop for the wholesaler.

It is unusual for a ‘world first’ to disappear from the market after a short time. In this case, Migros did not stamp the egg, despite some negative feedback and bad reviews on the internal Migros forum Migipedia. “Disgusting”, “disgusting” and “inedible”, some buyers there complained.

The reason why the egg is still missing from the shelves was initially a technical problem: a year ago, Migros daughter Elsa found during an inspection that a part of the machine in question needed to be replaced. Because it was a custom-made product, the industrial company Migros had to deal with long delivery times. Recently, the spare part finally arrived and production could be resumed. Yet the vegan egg is still not for sale. Why? It does not yet meet the quality requirements.

“Unfortunately, we are not yet satisfied with the first results,” explains a Migros spokeswoman when asked. Further adjustments are necessary so that the product can be offered again according to its own quality standards. “Because the recipe and production are very complex, it takes time.” We are working hard on a resolution and regret the unexpected delay. It is therefore unclear when exactly the plant-based egg will be back on the shelves.

The hiatus gives Migros a chance to revise the ice cream recipe. For example, customers complained that it tasted chemical and could only be eaten with a lot of sauce in a salad. Migros responded at the time that conventional picnic eggs would “often be a bit spicy”. Presumably Migros daughter Elsa is now trying to eliminate such defects, so that the vegan egg also tastes good without the aroma. So far, however, the engineers have clearly been unsuccessful.

The Migros industry has been working on the vegan egg for years. It consists of soy protein and is composed of two different masses. An outer white shell is filled with the vegetable “yolk” substitute. A pack of four cost 4.40 francs at launch. For comparison: four organic free-range eggs cost 3.55 francs.

“The Boiled” is part of the wholesaler’s vegan and vegetarian product line. This includes more than 150 products, more than 90 percent of which are vegan. Quick shots, in which the recipe is constantly being adjusted, are not uncommon in the industry. For example, Nestlé periodically adjusts its Garden Gourmet Burger. So the strategy is: It’s better to have a quick presence in the competitive market – but at the risk of driving customers away with the still unfinished recipe.

In fact, the challenges in the development of egg alternatives seem particularly great: the Nestlé brand Garden Gourmet had to stop using a scrambled egg substitute that Coop had in its range. It also consisted of soy protein.

However, Migros hopes customers understand the lack of vegan ice cream — and put it back in the cart once it’s back on the shelf. According to a Migros spokesperson, customer service regularly receives questions about the whereabouts. “Especially in the vegan community, there is a solid fan base.” (bzbasel.ch)