fava beans

Valio to relocate Kauhava factory to Joensuu

© Valio
Manufacturing & Technology

Finland’s Valio to Close Kauhava Fava Bean Facility, Moving Production to Joensuu

Earlier this year, Finnish dairy company Valio acquired Raisio’s plant protein business. This included the Härkis® and Beanit® brands, which offer products made from fava beans. Now, Valio has announced its intention to relocate the Kauhava factory operations that produce the fava bean products to its own site in Joensuu. Consequently, the Kauhava facility will close, potentially by the end of the year. All 11 employees at the plant will be affected, though Valio aims to offer as many people as possible jobs at other sites. “The personnel at the Kauhava factory have done a good job under both Raisio’s and Valio’s ownership,” said Juha Penttilä, Valio’s Executive Vice President, Operations. “Change negotiations involving personnel reductions are always very unpleasant, and we want to handle …

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© nito - stock.adobe.com
R&D

How Fava Beans Could Improve the Mouthfeel of Plant-Based Foods

Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich have studied how fava beans could affect the mouthfeel of plant-based foods. In particular, the researchers investigated protein nanofibrils from fava beans; these are special protein molecules organized into tiny structures, which can have a lasting effect on the texture of foods. To determine how fibrils affect cells under physiological conditions, the study used a cellular model of human oral tactile cells, which play a key role in the perception of texture and the mouthfeel of food and beverages. The research showed that the nanofibrils roughened the surface structure of the cells without changing their overall elasticity. Furthermore, adding nanofibrils to the cells’ culture medium altered the activity of receptor …

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© nito - stock.adobe.com
Ingredients

Canada Invests in Sustainable Faba Bean Protein Development to Expand Plant-Based Ingredient Options

Canada is expanding its plant-based protein offerings through a new initiative focused on faba beans. The project, backed by Protein Industries Canada (PIC), aims to develop high-protein, sustainable ingredients from faba beans, which will be used in a variety of food products.  The initiative involves a partnership between several organizations: Griffith Foods, BFY Proteins, Botaniline, and Faba Canada. These companies are working together to create neutral-flavored faba protein ingredients for use in consumer-packaged goods (CPGs), such as meat alternatives and breadings. The project focuses on improving the processing of faba beans to create high-protein, allergen-free, and lower-sodium ingredients suitable for the food industry. Faba beans have gained attention as a valuable plant-based protein source due to their high protein content (18-35%) and nutritional benefits. Global …

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Bunge faba beans

© Bunge
Ingredients

5 Companies Producing the Protein Isolates Behind the New Fava Bean-Based Alternatives

Today, we look into five companies creating protein isolates from fava beans for plant-based alternatives and other foods. Pulses are increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of plant-based diets and fava beans are said to be highly nutritious, containing 18-35% protein, including lysine, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and high levels of folate. This year, scientists from the University of Helsinki discovered the ideal fava bean blend for producing delicious plant-based meat. The plant Vicia faba and its beans are praised for their health benefits and environmental sustainability. The crops naturally fixate nitrogen in the soil, eliminating the need for nitrogen fertilizers, and making them an ideal rotational crop. The plants are also more tolerant of temporary flooding than lentils or peas. The following companies have invested …

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Fava or broad beans

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Investments & Finance

Canada: New $7.7M Consortium to Develop Pea and Fava Protein Meat Alternatives

Protein Industries Canada has announced a new project to advance the development of pea and fava protein ingredients and food products. The consortium, including Lovingly Made Flour Mills, TMRW Foods, and Dutton Farms, will focus on optimizing ingredient processing and developing new meat alternative products. A total of $7.7 million has been committed to the project, with Protein Industries Canada investing $3.3 million. The project aims to add value to Canadian pea and fava crops, creating a value-chain feedback loop that benefits ingredient processors, food manufacturers, and consumers. This effort is expected to improve the affordability, nutrition, and consistency of end products, strengthening the domestic ingredient manufacturing industry and capturing new economic opportunities for Canada. Resilient supply chains “Canada is proud to support Protein Industries …

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Integra Foods, the new ingredients division of Australian Grain Export (AGE), has opened a faba bean protein facility in Dublin, South Australia.

© Integra Foods
Manufacturing & Technology

Integra Foods Breaks New Ground with Faba Bean Protein Facility in South Australia

Integra Foods, the new ingredients division of Australian Grain Export (AGE), has opened a faba bean protein facility in Dublin, South Australia. The facility, part of AGE’s $20 million vertically integrated value-adding precinct in South Australia’s Mid-North region, leverages sustainable and energy-efficient protein separation techniques. The new plant, described as a state-of-the-art facility, is set to produce 15,000 metric tons of “all-natural” and sustainable concentrates annually for innovative faba bean-based products. Mr. Tim Martin, managing director of Integra Foods, shared: “We’re proud to lead in developing Australia’s plant protein industry and launching South Australia’s newest industry.” Dry fractionation tech Unlike wet fractionating methods, the ingredients company uses pioneering dry fractionation, which does not require water, acids, alkalis, solvents, or drying to separate proteins and starches. …

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Nukoko raises funding to scale cocoa-free chocolate

© Nukoko
Investments & Acquisitions

Nukoko Raises $1.5M to Scale “World’s First” Cocoa-Free Chocolate Made From Fava Beans

UK-based company Nukoko has raised $1.5 million in seed funding to scale up its technology to produce cocoa-free chocolate from fava beans. The round was led by Oyster Bay Venture Capital, with participation from SOSV and The Mills Fabrica alongside a grant from Innovate UK. Due to climate change, cocoa has seen a supply deficit in recent years, causing prices to rise by a huge 89% in 2023 and double again in the first months of 2024. Cocoa production is also associated with deforestation and significant carbon emissions. Nukoko claims to have developed the first chocolate made from fava beans, a nitrogen-fixing crop that can be grown within the UK. Using a fermentation process similar to traditional cocoa fermentation, the company transforms the beans into …

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Meeat Food Tech

© Meeat Food Tech
Company News

Meeat Food Tech Plans to Make Meat Factories Plant-Based With Fermented Fava Beans

Finland’s Meeat Food Tech was founded in 2020 by a group of former meat professionals who are working to transform the food industry through plant-based products. Meeat’s “hero ingredient” is fermented fava beans, which are highly sustainable, protein-rich, and have a neutral flavour. Due to its scalable and cost-efficient setup, the company says it can provide a partnership option to transform meat factories into plant-based operations. Last August, Meeat raised €8 million to rapidly expand throughout Europe, Asia, and the US. The company now has a range of over 50 plant-based products, featuring meat alternatives such as hot dogs, ready meals like Tikka Masala, and cooking sauces for dishes such as chilli and bolognese. Meeat also acts as a plant-based distributor, and helped to bring …

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Faba / Fava Beans

©Foodiq
Food & Beverage

Finland’s Foodiq Reveals Fabea+ As More Nutritious Alternative to Soy and Pea Protein

Finnish food innovator Foodiq announces it has developed Fabea+, a groundbreaking new ingredient made from fermented fava beans. Created as a versatile solution for a wide range of food applications, Fabea+ is said to offer a more nutritious and sustainable alternative to mainstream plant-based ingredients like soy, peas and oats.  While fava bean protein is currently sold as isolates and concentrates, Foodiq states Fabea+ is a fermented powder that is new and unique to the industry. Among its key attributes, Fabea+ is said to offer superior nutrition compared to other common plant-based ingredients, with high levels of protein and fiber. Thanks to its fermentation process, the ingredient has a neutral taste profile, with no unwanted side flavors.  Fabea+ is also described as a “universally applicable” ingredient …

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Beyond Steak Seared Tips

©Beyond Meat
Products & Launches

Beyond Meat Trials New Steak, Popcorn Chicken and Nuggets at Select US Stores

Beyond Meat (NASDAQ: BYND) appears to be testing several new products, including its highly publicized plant-based steak, in limited launches at Jewel Osco stores in the US Midwest.  Beyond Steak, Popcorn Chicken and Chicken Nuggets are now listed on Jewel Osco’s website, and shoppers have been posting sightings of the products across social media. Available in the frozen aisle, Beyond Steak Seared Tips are made from a base of wheat gluten and fava beans with 21 g of protein, according to its package. Each 10 oz package retails for $7.99 on Jewel Osco’s website, though at the time of writing, the product was listed on sale for $5.35/package.  The Beyond Popcorn Chicken and Nuggets are also made from a base of gluten and fava beans, and …

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©Off Piste Provisions
Ingredients

New Zealand Urged to Invest in Plant-Based Protein 

Kiwi plant-based producer Off-Piste Provisions is calling on the New Zealand agri-food and ingredients sectors to invest in pea and fava protein. The vegan outdoor foods brand has commissioned a new report to highlight the opportunities for pea and fava bean extraction in the country.  Entitled “Feasibility of Pea and Fava Bean Protein Extraction in New Zealand” and undertaken by PwC New Zealand, the report set out to understand the current market situation and opportunities that exist for pea and fava bean protein extraction in New Zealand. The report suggests a sizeable opportunity is present for investors and the local agri-food and ingredients sectors. Interestingly, Off-Piste Provisions – producer of on-the-go plant protein such as jerky – is funded by the New Zealand Ministry for …

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Fava or broad beans

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Manufacturing & Technology

NUTRIS Opens “Europe’s First Fava Bean Protein Facility” in Croatia

NUTRIS Group has opened what it claims is the first factory in Europe for the production of fava bean protein isolate. Located in Novi Senkovac, Croatia, the facility will also be able to produce potato-based ingredients. In conjunction with Denmark’s SiccaDania, NUTRIS has invested €30 million in the new site. The technology used at the facility was developed by the University of Copenhagen over a ten-year period, and has been further improved by the two companies. Ultimately, NUTRIS plans for the site to be part of a state-of-the-art agro-industrial hub called NUTRIS.park™, which should be operational by 2030. Fava bean steadily gaining popularity plant-based Fava bean protein is growing in popularity as an ingredient in alt-protein products. The protein is functionally similar to soy, but …

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Vegan/ Plant-Based Tacos

Photo by Jarett Lopez on Unsplash
Products & Launches

Upton’s Naturals Debuts First Fava Bean Taco Crumbles

Plant-based food company Upton’s Naturals has launched Fava Taco Style Crumbles, one of the first plant-based meat fillings made from fava beans.  Coming to Sprouts Farmers Markets this spring, the fava crumbles are made to recreate the mouthfeel and texture of slow-cooked ground beef, the company says. The product is seasoned with a custom taco seasoning blend, and each serving offers 9 grams of protein with minimal fat and calories. The fava crumbles are also Kosher Pareve and free from soy, gluten, oil,  added sugars and cholesterol.  As a heat-and-eat product, the fava crumbles cook within minutes and can be enjoyed as a stuffing for tacos or burritos, served with nachos or any Mexican-style dish. Upton’s crumbles will be available in chilled 8 oz packages at …

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Quelle: Pixabay
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Sweden Invests in Homegrown Foods to Improve Self-Sufficiency and Deal with Vegan Demand

As demand for plant-based foods grows in Sweden, the government has invested €2.5 million into local projects to boost the agricultural potential of the country. Focusing on crops like fava beans, the initiative aims to increase the national plant-based sector’s competitiveness and make plant-based diets more sustainable. With the majority of plant-based products consumed in Sweden made from imported soy, Vinnova – Sweden’s Innovation Agency – is funding 17 agricultural projects which will improve the self-sufficiency of the county and meet the needs of a population consuming more and more plant-based products. Despite being a country with harsh conditions for agriculture, the innovations could lead to increased growth in the sector and less reliance on – often unsustainable – soy production. One such project is …

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Sweet & Sour Zoglo's

©Zoglo's Incredible Food Co
Products & Launches

Zoglo’s Incredible Food Corp Launches 12 New Products For Canadian Market

Zoglo’s Incredible Food Corp. announces the introduction of 12 new plant-based food products from its Incredible™ product line into the Canadian retail market, including shawarma, meatballs, chicken tenders and strips. Zoglo’s Incredible Food Corp. is a private plant-based food company based in Toronto which offers plant-based appetizers, veggies, and meat substitutes made with Non-GMO Soy or Non-GMO beans such as peas, fava beans and mung beans. Over the past 25 years, its products have been in distribution in over 700 retail stores across Canada including Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sobeys and Loblaws, and has representation in the United States and Europe. “We are very pleased to be expanding our product line in Canada and look forward to Zoglo’s continuing to penetrate the market and becoming …

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Planteneers Plant-based lasagne

©Planteneers

Food & Beverage

Planteneers Says That “New Work” is Driving Demand for Plant-Based Convenience Foods

In recent months takeout and delivery models have experienced a tremendous boom. The operative term is “new work,” and home office and mobile working call for need-oriented solutions, and as we recently reported, vegan convenience food is a category currently trending and seeing high investor interest since the pandemic. Vegan alternatives to pepperoni or tuna Planteneers GmbH, headquartered in Ahrensburg, Germany, develops and produces custom system solutions for plant-based alternatives to meat, sausage and fish products, as well as cheese, dairy products and deli foods. With the company’s compounds, manufacturers can offer an entire range of pizzas with purely plant-based ingredients, and so address the rising demand for plant-based convenience foods. The functional systems in the fiildMeat S range, for example, are ideal for making …

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