Following consumer plant-based preferences, the bakery industry is turning to egg alternatives. Faba bean proteins mimic many of the required properties and allow for sustainable solutions.
Driven by the consumer shift towards more sustainable, plant-based diets, the bakery industry is looking for ‘egg-less’ solutions. According to recent figures, more than one third of consumers worldwide are trying to reduce their consumption of products containing eggs from industrial farming and 13% do not eat them at all. In addition to the need to serve people who are egg-intolerant or vegan, unstable and rising egg prices are also fuelling the search for alternative ingredients.
Replacing eggs, especially in bakery products, remains a challenge for manufacturers. This is because eggs have several functionalities in bakery applications. For example, they have emulsifying and aeration as well as texturizing properties. Moreover, on a sensorial level, eggs provide flavor and color and, if needed, contribute to a glossy surface. Plus, on a nutritional basis, they can enhance the overall protein content.
In the search for a plant-based substitute for eggs, other ingredients have risen to the challenge. One of them is the faba or broad bean, a legume crop grown primarily for its edible seeds and thought to be one of the earliest domesticated legumes. The plant, formally known as Vicia faba L., belongs to the Fabaceae family. Faba beans help to make foods ‘futureproof’ as they come with remarkable sustainability credentials. As a multi-use crop with special nitrogen-
fixing properties, faba beans significantly reduce the need for fertilizers on farms and, being regionally grown, they can contribute to a reduction in transport.
A plant-based allrounder
BENEO has been exploring the use of faba bean ingredients in different bakery concepts and is increasingly researching their potential as an egg replacer. Tests done by the company have focused on faba bean protein concentrate. “The ingredient shows good solubility, strong emulsifying, thickening and binding properties, as well as good foaming characteristics and a pleasant taste. In this sense, it ticks many of the important boxes that eggs do,” says Dr. Isabel Trogh, Customer Technical Support Manager at the BENEO-Technology Center.
“The ingredient shows good solubility, strong emulsifying, thickening and binding properties, as well as good foaming characteristics and a pleasant taste. In this sense, it ticks many of
the important boxes that eggs do.”
Dr. Isabel Trogh, Customer Technical Support Manager at the BENEO-Technology Center
One of the company’s first egg-replacement trials was carried out with muffins. The traditional version was compared with a plant-based variety that was reformulated with BENEO’s faba bean protein concentrate. The results showed that the faba bean muffins were very similar in volume and appearance to the egg-containing originals. Furthermore, the plant-based muffins had a pleasant taste and a comparable fine crumb structure that mirrored the reference product.
The BENEO-Technology Center paid special attention to crumb firmness as an important indicator of texture. During laboratory tests, the crumb firmness of both muffin versions was successively measured at one day, one week and two weeks after baking using a Texture Analyser (figure below). The results showed a similar crumb firmness for the reference and the egg-free muffins, even after two weeks of storage.
Although faba bean protein concentrate mimics eggs in the recipe, another ingredient was needed to achieve a completely plant-based solution: Orafti® Oligofructose, a water-soluble prebiotic dietary fiber, serves as a substitute for milk powder in the recipe. Derived from chicory root, this fiber can support gut health by feeding beneficial intestinal bacteria. On a nutritional level, Orafti® Oligofructose increased fiber levels.
Texture analysis: Muffins were stored in plastic bags at room temperature; an average of 10 measurements per recipe were taken 1 day, 1 week and 2 weeks after baking
Based on the positive results, further trials have been done – including one with meringue, a confectionary that typically consists of high amounts of egg white. The BENEO-Technology Center tested a completely egg-free, plant-based version by using faba bean protein concentrate. The plant-based meringue had a pleasant taste profile and a good aerated texture (which is characteristic of the product). Another egg-less reformulation was done with shortbread biscuits. The plant-based prototype showed a comparable sandy texture as the egg-reference, delivered a pleasant taste and had a similar appearance.
High in protein and clean label
Faba bean protein concentrate is distinguished by its protein content of at least 60% on dry matter base. The concentrate is obtained by dry fractionation, a process that allows the functionality of the native protein to be maintained. After cleaning, dehulling and milling the beans into flour, the starch-rich fraction is separated from the protein-rich particles by air classification. As a vegetal protein with an excellent essential amino acid profile, the ingredient is also popular for protein fortification. Among other concepts, BENEO used it in bakery applications by formulating a wholemeal, high-protein bread, for example. The protein enrichment opens the door to nutritional claims such as ‘source of protein’ or ‘high in protein’.
The reference and egg-free muffins are very similar in terms of volume and crumb firmness
Next to protein concentrate, BENEO’s faba bean range also includes starch-rich flour which is naturally high in protein. Both ingredients are clean label (no E-numbers needed), non-GMO and have a creamy or light-yellow color in powder form. Sensory evaluations indicate that the characteristic bean-like taste of faba beans is milder than that of other plant-based protein sources. Although the use of higher quantities of faba bean ingredients in a recipe may lead to a subtle beany taste, there are easy ways to optimize the sensory attributes of the final product. Bakery manufacturers can use masking flavors or combine faba bean ingredients with other components that have a distinctive taste, such as almond flour, lemon flavor or cocoa powder.
Affordable bakery solutions
The reformulated recipes of muffins and, in particular, the egg-free meringue, also reveal faba bean’s potential for cost reductions. The test recipes require a much lower dosage of faba bean protein concentrate than the amount of eggs used in the original formulation. “In this regard, plant-based reformulation can also be an important way to reduce costs, as key raw materials such as eggs have seen significant price increases,” says Dr. Isabel Trogh.
The company is now working on egg replacement in further bakery applications. In a first trial with pound cake, the BENEO-Technology Center reduced half of the egg content by adding faba bean protein concentrate. The reformulated prototype allows for a pleasant taste and texture and offers cost-saving potential, depending on local raw material prices.
