Egg albumen (Egg white)
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Every diet
It is the white of an egg.
Egg is halal.
Eggs are kosher, though the equipment has to be as well.
Almost no carbohydrate.
Fine for most people at normal amounts.
Rules by country
Egg albumen is a food ingredient with no E-number. The naming is the trap: albumen on a wine label means a fining agent derived from egg, and the EU requires the product to be labeled as such on wines and liqueurs.
What is it?
Egg white is roughly 11% protein with a very high biological value, and in dried form it whips, foams and sets. As a fining agent it works differently: the proteins bind the unwanted particles in wine so they can be strained out. The same word is used for blood albumen and for the whites of any bird's egg, so the source has to be read from the rest of the label.
Where it comes from: The clear part of the egg, which is about 60% water and 11% protein, mostly ovalbumin. On a label the word albumen is also used for blood albumen and for the white part of any bird egg, and it is what fining agents in wine are called.
Why it’s in food
- Whipping and meringue
- Binding in baking
- Fining wine
- Protein supplement
- Enzyme in baking
Often found in
Also listed as: Egg albumen, Albumen, Egg white, Dried egg white, Albumin, Egg albumen powder
Health & gut impact
Egg albumen is used to clarify wine, and any residual protein left in the bottle can trigger a reaction in someone with an egg allergy. Some wineries now label the fining agent on the back of the bottle for that reason.
EU Regulation 1169/2011, food information to consumers
Egg is on the mandatory allergen list in the US, the EU, Canada and Australia, and it is one of the allergies that most often persists into adulthood, unlike milk and wheat.
US FASTER Act (2021) and EU Regulation 1169/2011 allergen list
Raw egg white carries the same Salmonella risk as raw whole egg, which is why commercial egg white used in food manufacture is pasteurized.
US CDC, food safety guidance on eggs and egg products
What can I use instead?
Ratio: Use the same volume for whipping
Best for: Meringue and macarons
Related
More dairy:
Common questions
What does albumen mean on a wine label?
It means egg white was used to fine the wine, to pull out particles that would otherwise cloud it. If you have an egg allergy, look for a wine that names an alternative fining agent such as bentonite or a plant enzyme.
Is albumen the same as albumin?
They come from the same place, the egg white, and the words are used interchangeably on ingredient lists. Serum albumin is a different protein from blood, which is why blood-derived albumen appears on some labels as serum albumin or albumin.
Is egg white protein better than whey?
Neither is better in general. Both are complete proteins with high biological value, and they differ mainly in the amount of leucine and in how quickly they are absorbed, with whey faster and egg slower.
Is Egg albumen safe?
Generally safe (90/100). Egg albumen is a food ingredient with no E-number. The naming is the trap: albumen on a wine label means a fining agent derived from egg, and the EU requires the product to be labeled as such on wines and liqueurs.
Is Egg albumen vegan?
No. It is the white of an egg.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- EU Regulation 1169/2011, food information to consumers
- US FASTER Act (2021) and EU Regulation 1169/2011 allergen list
- US CDC, food safety guidance on eggs and egg products