Forget soy, lentil, and pea protein — there’s a new contender in the plant-based world. Say hello to the faba bean: a very humble, often-ignored legume that slowly but surely is gaining ground. New research, as a part of a study conducted by a team of food scientists from Sustainable Food Technology, has unlocked an incredible new use for this humble bean, using one of the most sustainable food sources: brewer’s spent grain.
Yes, the leftovers from brewing your favourite beer could soon land in your burger.
Savoury and Sustainable
These scientists have found a novel way to enhance the texture of meat analogues by the use of enzymes such as transglutaminase — a.k.a. “meat glue” — and laccase, which help the faba bean and grain proteins mimic the intricately complex structure of real meat. In simpler terms: they’re making your veggie burger juicier and more tender-like those McDonalds beef patties you grew up with, except with no animal products.
Transglutaminase is mainly used for replicating the texture of commercial meat, while laccase helps mimick the water-holding capacity of animal meat. Together, these two give a more authentic bite.
This innovation solves perhaps the single most significant consumer gripe about plant-based meat: texture. Unlike most meat substitutes, which can be a little dry and somewhat lacking in the juices and chew of real meat, these enzymes help develop a tender, juicy texture that will create a realistic plant-based burger experience.
This innovation is doing more than just making plant-based meats taste better. It covers two of the world’s biggest environmental challenges: sustainability and reduction of food waste. Breweries generate tonnes of spent grain (BSG) each year (actually, 36.4 million tonnes of BSG is generated globally per annum (Nyhan, et al., 2023)), which for the most part goes to waste or is utilized as low-value animal feed. Now, food researchers are developing this grain into a key ingredient for plant-based meats, not only in order to cut down on waste but also to come up with a high-protein, low-carbon alternative from traditional meat production. The process upcycles what would otherwise be considered waste into higher-value, protein-rich food stock.
Why Faba Beans?
The other 50% of this solution is the faba bean, which is nutritious and environmentally merited for this innovation. Not only is it rich in protein, providing about 26% protein content, but it also has an excellent amino acid profile, and it meets the criteria for a complete source of protein. Through a sustainability lens, faba beans fix nitrogen in the soil, which reduces the application of chemical fertilizers. Besides that, relatively low water use also makes them a very sustainable crop choice in a world where water scarcity is quickly becoming an urgent concern. Finally, low-energy processing methods in combination with enzymatic treatment optimize sustainability at an economical cost.
Bonus Benefits
- Due to its high fiber and protein content, BSG enhances texture in meat analogues by entrapping free water, thus enhancing the structural integrity of the final product considerably. This actually contributes to health benefits such as promoting cholesterol and fat excretion.
- The faba bean’s excellent gelling property can create a desirable texture with very few additives, further enhancing the quality of meat analogues.
Adding the two together, the delivery of a truly sustainable food system seems so much more feasible. Brewer’s spent grain, usually undervalued and most of the time relegated to animal feed or waste, is now being reimagined by scientists as a crucial ingredient in meat analogues. This will, in return, reduce the level of waste and improve the nutritional value of the final product, opening up new routes toward a more sustainable food future.
The Study
Sample preparation: 25% faba bean protein isolate, 3% brewer’s flour, 10% sunflower oil, and 62% water. After emulsifying the oil with a portion of the protein, the remaining ingredients were mixed, and three samples — enzyme-free (S-EF), transglutaminase-treated (S-TG), and laccase-treated (S-LC) — were prepared. Protein cross-linking was analyzed using SDS-PAGE and it showed that transglutaminase greatly improved water retention due to the formation of water-retaining polymers, which is alike the reports by Wang et al. and Motoki et al. Transglutaminase treatment enhanced swelling in 7S and 11S globulins, increasing water retention, while laccase reduced water retention from 93.73% to 91.30%, likely due to the generation of additional water.
Texture analysis revealed that the treatment with transglutaminase gave a closer texture to a commercial reference meat product, though both enzymes significantly improved aggregation and water retention.
So what?
Although this result is promising for this faba bean-based meat alternative, it is still under development. Together, all the ingredients can reproduce, or come close to reproducing, the texture and mouthfeel of meat, a critical factor both in carnivores and among flexitarians.
So the next time you take a bite of that “burger,” remember faba beans and BSG. While food technology is constantly in development, the faba bean may be one step ahead to flavourful, earth-friendly alternatives to meat, meeting the enormous dietary cultures while becoming friendly to the food-waste movement.
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