The Good Food Institute (GFI), a global organization dedicated to the advancement of alternative proteins, has promoted and fostered the development of plant-based ingredients for use in plant-based analogues through scientific research, collaboration with industry, and funding programs in Brazil and abroad. Among the various plant-based raw materials with the potential to meet the growing demand for plant-based analogues, beans have emerged as a promising ingredient, alongside more established alternatives such as soybeans and peas.
Beans offer several positive attributes compared to soybeans and peas, such as established domestic production, reduced dependence on imports, competitive costs, good agronomic adaptation, and greater acceptance among allergen-sensitive consumers. Furthermore, their diversity of species and functional and nutritional profiles allows them to be widely adapted to different production contexts. This favors their inclusion in public food and family farming policies. From a nutritional perspective, beans stand out for offering high-quality proteins, fiber, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds relevant to health, along with a moderate energy value. Additionally, beans stand out for their sustainability attributes, such as a low carbon footprint, improved soil quality, and reduced dependence on inputs. Their diversity of colors, textures, and flavors expands the possibilities for formulating innovative products, including plant-based analogues. Finally, bean cultivation reinforces the role of family farming and contributes to the development of the regional bioeconomy, aligning with food and nutritional security policies and strengthening their strategic relevance for both the market and society.
In recent years, GFI has supported strategic studies focused on the sensory, technological and functional evaluation of beans, such as Carioca Bean Project with EMBRAPA, Cowpea Dry Fractionation Project with Neuman & Esser (NEA) and Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), the Sensory Enhancement Project with UFSC and Study with Mung Beans conducted by GFI APAC. In these initiatives, beans were repeatedly highlighted by experts as a legume with high potential for application in plant analogues, due to their wide availability, high protein content, and nutritional balance. However, their large-scale application still faces significant technological challenges, such as the presence of off-flavors (Eg beany flavor, bitterness and/or astringency), presence of antinutritionals, full use of the grain (husk, protein and starch fraction) and functional limitations, which require advances in processing and formulation to increase its competitiveness in plant analogues.
In this context, beans are positioned as a strategic alternative for expanding and diversifying the industry's plant-based ingredient portfolio, especially given the growing demand for production autonomy, improved sensory solutions, and cost reduction. However, to fully realize this potential, coordinated research and development (R&D) efforts are still required to address existing technological challenges. This document brings together priority R&D strategies and opportunities focused on the technological exploitation of beans, considering dry, wet, and hybrid processing routes, as well as emerging technologies, in line with the demands of the alternative protein production chain. Furthermore, it offers a comprehensive overview of the ingredient, systematizing technical, functional, nutritional, and sustainability data, as well as its potential applications in plant-based formulations.
