Pulses, the Plant-Based Proteins Bakers Can Count On
Pulse proteins sit at the intersection of two major food trends: plant-based and flexitarian diets and the increasing preoccupation with having more proteins in one’s diet to support healthy aging and mobility. Major ingredient producers have been investing heavily in innovative new products that cater to these needs.
Plant-based proteins are increasingly essential in bakery, driven by consumer demand for healthier, sustainable, and ethical food choices. These proteins—derived from sources such as peas, faba/fava, and chickpeas—enhance the nutritional profile of baked goods by adding fibre, reducing saturated fat, and improving amino acid balance. Functionally, they support structure, texture, and moisture retention, making them valuable in vegan and allergen-free formulations.
BENEO’s Faba Bean Protein Concentrate
“As the plant-based trend gathers pace, bakery producers are under growing pressure to develop products that cater for this rising trend,” says Fréderic Fernandes, Product Manager Functional Proteins at BENEO. “As a result, we’re seeing more producers explore alternatives to traditional ingredients, such as plant-based proteins, to enhance the nutritional value of products and appeal to the growing number of health-conscious consumers. Worldwide, 81% of consumers are (extremely) interested in protein, and 63% in plant-proteins in particular, making protein-enrichment an important focus for plant-based bakery reformulations. In fact, 1 in 2 global consumers are attracted by high protein claims when looking for bakery products, and 45%, who check the nutrition label of their baked goods, say they are looking for the protein content.”
Pulses – such as BENEO’s locally grown faba beans – offer a wide range of benefits. These include strong nutritional and technical properties, as well as important agricultural and environmental advantages. Beyond replacing animal proteins, faba beans offer a sustainable alternative to other plant proteins which are imported from overseas and pose environmental challenges, such as deforestation. As a pulse with a long-standing role in both human and animal nutrition, the faba bean can be cultivated efficiently in Germany and scores high on sustainability.
BENEO’s faba bean protein concentrate is a natural, clean label source of plant-based protein that can serve as an alternative to animal-derived ingredients such as milk and egg in a range of bakery applications. “As well as contributing to the colour and texture of plant-based products, thanks to its very good emulsifying, foaming, thickening and binding properties, faba bean protein concentrate also performs well nutritionally,” says Fernandes. “The clean label ingredient contains a minimum of 60% protein on dry matter and has an excellent essential amino acid profile which can be combined with cereal protein to achieve a complete essential amino acid profile. It also has strong sustainability credentials and has shown its potential as a cost-effective egg replacer too, offering cost savings and price stability, in line with local raw material prices.”
Alongside the concentrate, BENEO’s faba bean starch-rich flour is naturally high in protein, while also containing fibre, and can help to boost the protein content in applications such as cereal bars, snacks, or baked goods. For example, the addition of BENEO’s faba bean starch-rich flour in a plant-based pizza crust allows for “high protein” and “source of fibre” claims in the EU. Additionally, BENEO’s rice starch is used in the recipe to improve dough consistency.
GoodMills Innovation’s VITATEX Wheat Fava Flakes SVP Pro
An innovative ingredient comes from GoodMills Innovation, which has launched VITATEX Wheat Fava Flakes SVP Pro, a clean-label, co-extruded texturate combining wheat gluten and fava bean protein. This process promotes amino acid cross-linking for a stable, fibrous structure with a long-lasting bite—ideal for meat alternatives such as pulled meat, skewers or sliced products.
The flakes absorb up to 1.9 times their weight in water, withstand mechanical stress, and retain their structure through frying, cooking, freezing and sterilisation. Their light texture absorbs flavours well and avoids the off-notes often found in pea proteins.