Foodiq develops new ingredient for the next generation of plant-based products

The Finnish company, Foodiq, which aims to provide sustainable solutions to solve the future of food, has developed a new ingredient that can finally allow plant-based food alternatives to go global. The ingredient, called Fabea+, comprises 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," commented Pasi Raito, Chief Business Officer at Foodiq. "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”

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 a food convention in December, where it was greeted with excitement among food industry professionals and shortlisted in the innovation prize category.

“Fabea+ wasn’t born out of necessity but from a passion to simply make food better – to facilitate the pursuit of futureproof food products. We see a bright future for this Nordic magic powder” Raito concluded.