The Finnish company Foodiq has developed a new ingredient that can finally allow plant-based food alternatives to go global. The ingredient, called Fabea+, is made from fermented fava beans and offers a more nutritious, sustainable, and scalable alternative to mainstream ingredients used in the plant-based market, such as soy, pea or oats.
This brand-new ingredient offers a clean slate for the production of virtually any plant-based product, with no unwanted side flavors and zero trade-offs when it comes to taste or texture. Fava beans are usually only used as isolates and concentrates, but this fermented powder form is new and unique to the industry, while the use of fermentation as a process makes a truly “tasteless” taste profile possible.
“We turned fermented fava beans into a Nordic magic powder able to upgrade your product to the next level, whether it’s dairy, grain, or meat. Thanks to our unique, industrial-scale manufacturing process, combined with natural fermentation, Fabea+ has a neutral taste and no odour. It is vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO and suitable for FODMAP diet,” explains Pasi Raito, Chief Business Officer at Foodiq.
The market for plant-based meats is currently experiencing growth problems, with sales flatlining and brands struggling to stand out in an increasingly saturated market. Foodiq believes this innovation will allow food producers anywhere to develop new products and improve on existing ones to appeal to consumers everywhere. Fabea+ was presented to the industry at FI Europe food convention in December, where it was greeted with excitement among food industry professionals and shortlisted in the innovation prize category.
“We are happy about the amazing feedback Fabea+ received from the industry at the FI Europe fair. Fabea+ wasn’t born out of necessity but from a passion to simply make food better – to facilitate the pursuit of future-proof food products. We see a bright future for this Nordic magic powder,” says Raito.
Key facts about Fabea+:
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Fabea+ has no unwanted side flavors and is incredibly malleable, making it the perfect clean slate for food producers.
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The ingredient offers a superior nutritional profile to other common ingredients, with high levels of protein and fiber.
• It is more than just a meat substitute. Fabea+ can be used to create alternatives to baked goods, dairy, pastas, and more. It is universally applicable: and can take any shape and flavor desired.
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Made from fermented fava beans, a crop that is sustainable and can be grown almost anywhere, from Europe to Africa to Asia.
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Fabea+ can be rapidly scaled and incorporated into production lifecycles, improving on existing products or creating new ones to help producers and brands in their mission to save the planet.
• Fabea+ is available as a powder and as a block.
About Foodiq
Founded in 2015, the Finnish Foodiq Oy offers product development and production services for plant-based products to the private and public sector. The unique production processes developed by the company enable the production of plant-based products without additives. Foodiq operates in Finland and in the UK. In 2022 Foodiq raised 15,3 million euros from investors to expand its global operations.
