Fermented, vegetable-based foods of Nordic-Baltic origin

Aim and goal

The project aims to develop yoghurt-like foods based on beans from the Nordic-Baltic region. The final products include analogues to regular yoghurt, as well as prototypes to several foods within the dairy category.

Starting with a Swedish (or Baltic)-cultivated faba bean and varying processing techniques, a vegetable “milk” is produced and further fermented with bacterial cultures specially suited for the raw material.

Challenge

Several companies that produce vegetable-based alternatives to dairy products are looking for Swedish-cultivated raw material to use in their production. Faba bean has been identified as an excellent candidate but is currently an untapped source for food. A big challenge in this project is to utilise and modify the structural characteristics of faba beans so that the final products fulfil the demands of taste, consistency and shelf life.  

Sollution

The project team consisting of researchers at RISE, SLU and Estonian TFTAK, as well as food companies, contribute with their expertise throughout the entire food value chain. The project focuses on practical applications to optimise the processing of the raw material into a "milk" that serves as a base for fermentation and further product development, in small prototype- as well as industry scale production.

Effect

Swedish cultivated faba beans as a main ingredient in vegetable-based foods can contribute to an upswing for farmers who want to invest in protein crops for the food industry. Food companies see a growing interest among consumers in foods of Swedish origin and the dairy category is already well established on the market. Seeing the low environmental impact of faba beans, choosing food based on faba beans can contribute to several global goals for sustainable development.