Plant-based Boost for Baked Goods

Faba bean ingredients are a real allrounder for baked goods and can be used to replace eggs, reduce formulation costs, as well as for protein enrichment

The plant-based movement is going mainstream, and as a result, we're now seeing rising demand, not only for plant-based meat and dairy alternatives as the most obvious applications but also in the bakery arena. While only 1% of sweet bakery goods had a vegan claim in 2016, by 2021, 13% were making this claim.¹ This data demonstrates that with consumers increasingly wanting plant-based bakery, the industry is beginning to meet their needs. The intention to buy such products is manifold. In fact, when we asked flexitarian consumers across the globe why they choose to buy plant-based bakery and sweets, their top four answers were that the products are seen as natural, healthy, bring variety to their diets, and they like the taste.² However, plant-based (re)formulation always has its challenges, and in order to achieve convincing sensorial results in baked goods, a portfolio of viable ingredients and the application know-how from suppliers investing in science-backed ingredients, such as BENEO, is needed.

Exploring egg replacement

It is always difficult replacing eggs in any bakery reformulation, as they contribute to the adhesion, binding, aeration, browning, and much more. With so much influence on the baked good's final texture, finding a viable egg replacement is crucial. The application experts from the BENEO-Technology Center trialled a range of recipe reformulations for plant-based muffins. They found out that by using faba bean protein concentrate, it is possible to replace the eggs in the traditional muffin recipe while still delivering in terms of texture and taste.

The prototype muffin with faba bean protein concentrate as an egg replacer was measured regarding its firmness of the crumb (found inside the muffin) over a two-week period. The results showed that this parameter was comparable to that of the reference that contained egg.

Saving costs

Replacing eggs with faba bean protein concentrate is also a viable approach in the context of cost reduction. Over the last year, key raw materials have seen significant price increases, with food price predictions continuing throughout 2023. Consequently, food manufacturers are searching for more affordable ingredients that are in line with consumers' expectations towards more natural, healthy, tasty, sustainable, and plant-based solutions.

Protein boost for baked goods

The use of faba bean ingredients can also result in on-pack nutritional claims in the context of protein content, if the conditions of use are fulfilled. Hence, another field of using faba beans is to increase the amount of protein in baked goods, offering manufacturers the opportunity to achieve appealing product positionings. To explore this potential, the BENEO-Technology Center developed a wholemeal bread that is high in protein thanks to the addition of faba bean protein concentrate. Both the test recipe and the reference contained vital wheat gluten to optimize the dough and bread properties. After one day storage in a paper bag at room temperature, both bread types were compared. The results revealed that the test bread with faba bean protein concentrate and the reference bread had a similar volume, but there was a difference in crumb firmness. However, sensorial evaluation showed that the faba bean bread had a pleasant texture.

1 Mintel GNPD
2 BENEO Global Plant-Based Survey 2021 - Insites Consulting conducted an online quantitative survey in July
2021 in Spain, France, Germany, Poland, UK, US, Brazil, Australia, China and Russia: 1000 consumers/ country =
11,990 consumers in total.