Israel’s Fabumin has developed a functional and multipurpose egg replacer for the food industry by upcycling legume water waste, otherwise known as aquafaba, an ingredient known for its unique emulsifying, foaming, and thickening properties similar to egg albumin.
The startup has reportedly attracted interest from food companies such as Grupo Bimbo and Haagen Dazs for its product.
What sets Fabumin apart from other aquafaba egg replacers is that its product — a powder offering significant advantages over liquid options that require refrigeration — is made at legume processing factories by upcycling their side streams, allowing a large-scale production.
“Every day, the legume industry produces a considerable amount of waste water that is poured into the drain. The result is a heavy load on the wastewater sorting systems, and a tremendous waste of fresh water,” Fabumin says on its website.
Drying aquafaba into a powder
Founded in 2021 by Adi Yehezkeli and Adi Lengel in Tel Aviv with funds from the Israel Innovation Authority as part of the IFF Innovation Lab, Fabumin has developed a low-energy drying technology for drying aquafaba.
The process involves distilling the wastewater into a thicker substance and drying it into a powder (20%) while purifying and recycling most cooking water (80%). The method recycles vast amounts of water and reduces waste, offering a sustainable solution within the food industry. You can watch a video of the process here.
Fabumin’s multipurpose powder is aimed at the entire food industry since it can be used in egg-allergen-free products ranging from cakes to sauces. It also offers solutions for the cosmetic, cultivated meat, and microbiome industries.
Among its advantages is that, as a plant-based product, it avoids egg contamination from salmonella, supply chain disruptions, and rising egg prices due to avian flu or conflicts, offering a stable and cost-effective ingredient.
According to NoCamels, blind tests have shown no difference in taste and texture between foods made with real eggs and those made with Fabumin powder. The company is also developing a plant-based eggshell for a complete egg-like experience.
Replacing millions of eggs
Fabumin holds an international patent covering much of the global market and operates a TRL 6-level semi-industrial pilot, running its technology at mid-scale to prove its feasibility before full-scale production. The company aims to produce enough Fabumin powder to replace 180 million eggs and save millions of liters of clean water in the next years.
Reportedly, the Israeli startup has attracted interest from major food companies like Grupo Bimbo, Haagen Dazs, and CSM, which are testing the new egg alternative powder. Additionally, the company is set to sign its first agreement with a European legume factory and plans to scale production from pilot stages to industrial levels.
Fabumin has received support from the Cartier Women’s Initiative, including a $30,000 grant and it participated in an innovation lab run by International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF). The company has been included in the 2023 FoodTech 500 list by Forward Fooding, named the Most Promising Startup from Tel Hai College, and received top honors in ‘Women in Agrifood Nation’ and at EIT FOOD’s Upscale Challenge.
“By reducing the use of eggs, and switching to the use of Fabumin, we can save a huge amount of natural resources such as land, was,ter and clean air. And let’s not forget the animals; our plant-based solution spares countless hens and chicks,” Fabumin states.
