Animal welfare and sustainability issues are becoming increasingly important when buying food. This not only leads to reduced consumption of meat, fish and dairy products, but also eggs: Current figures show that more than one third of consumers worldwide are trying to avoid or reduce their consumption of products containing eggs from industrial farming, with 13 % refusing to eat them at all – according to the Beneo Global Plant-Based and Meat.

Plant-based foods are increasingly in demand, also in the baked goods and snacks sector. However, as eggs are still an essential ingredient, a promising alternative is needed. And the good news is, it’s growing in local fields: the faba bean.

Manufacturers of baked goods and snacks are therefore faced with the challenge of developing egg-free recipes to respond to this trend. However, this remains challenging, as eggs fulfil many functions, especially in baked goods. They are used for foaming, have emulsifying properties and contribute to the colour, taste and texture of end products.

Functional ingredients manufacturer BENEO offers a promising alternative to egg with protein concentrate from the faba bean, which food producers already use as a source of protein in meat and dairy alternatives. In a series of tests conducted by the BENEO-Technology Center on baked goods, the protein concentrate achieved good results and was able to partially or even completely replace egg. The ingredient not only offers technological advantages but is also suitable for clean label recipes. It comes from an ecologically valuable raw material: pulses, such as faba beans, can be grown regionally and help enrich the soil with nitrogen, which significantly reduces the need for fertilisers.

Beneo obtains the protein concentrate from dehulled faba beans via dry fractionation. Processing therefore requires no water and saves valuable resources. The concentrate has an excellent essential amino acid profile and, with a minimum protein content of 60% on dry matter, it can increase the protein content in baked goods and other foods. If the relevant legal requirements are met, these can be labelled with nutritional claims such as ‘source of protein’ or ‘high protein’.

In its initial test series, the Beneo-Technology Center developed egg-free muffins that were similar in volume and appearance to the egg-based version and had a comparable firmness. The vegan muffins also scored well in terms of flavour. Another milestone was the development of an egg-free meringue recipe. The protein concentrate proved to be a suitable and efficient egg substitute thanks to its light colour, mild taste and foaming properties: with only 4% faba bean protein compared to 29% egg white in the traditional recipe, a stable foam, well-aerated texture and pleasant taste could be achieved. Depending on local raw material prices, the plant-based egg substitute in the meringue also enables cost reductions of over 50%. The recipe therefore not only provides a vegan product, but also offers manufacturers considerable cost benefits.

The test results from the Beneo-Technology Center show that ingredients made from faba beans can not only overcome technological challenges, but also impress in terms of taste and cost-efficiency. At the same time, they present an opportunity to make the baked goods industry more sustainable without compromising on quality and flavour.