Protein Industries Canada in a recent news release, has partnered up with established plant-based food manufacturing companies to find improved uses for faba beans (Vicia faba). $7.7 million will be invested into this new project in conjunction with Griffith Foods, BFY Proteins, Botaniline and Faba Canada to fund this project. Lisa Campbell, senior director of programs with Protein Industries Canada, is excited for the future of faba beans within the plant-based food sector.
“I think one of the reasons it's fantastic is it's it just supports the full value chain.So , we've got a new company like Faba Canada out of Alberta that's going to be working with farmers to supply them with faba beans for their dry fractionation process. Development of that acreage of faba beans across Saskatchewan, Alberta. Then we also see Faba Canada partnering with two leaders in the food industry, Griffith Foods and BFY Proteins, both global leaders in their space with (Griffith) Foods on ingredients and BFY (Proteins) on finished products.”
This partnership will look at improving the overall quality of faba beans within plant-based foods with their value chain approach helping result in higher protein, less salt, and allergen-free products that appeal to consumers. Campbell knows that partnering with already established plant-based food manufacturing companies such as these, can help establish a relatively new crop in faba beans within the food industry.
"Faba (beans) isn’t a new product, it's a relatively new product for Canada and it's a relatively new product coming into the plant-based food industry but it’s becoming a real darling for a few reasons. For one, it's higher in protein than peas, and it's also got a more neutral flavour and Faba Canada is working hard on a de-flavouring to make that protein even more neutral. All of those investments help grow, scale and stabilize that industry. As far as the ingredient.”
This new partnership can help bring faba beans into the future of plant-based food industry which is projected to grow to $25 billion by the year 2030. A move not only beneficial to faba growers and producers but also the overall health of the Canadian agriculture and economy and even consumers finding higher quality products in grocery stores, made with Canadian grown faba beans.