Beneo adds faba bean derived protein and starch ingredients to animal nutrition range

Its animal nutrition product range now includes faba bean protein concentrate, starch-rich flour, and hulls, which are non-GMO and represent sustainable sources of protein, starch, and fibre, enabling feed manufacturers to improve the nutritional profile of their products, said the supplier.

There are increasing consumer concerns about aqua and livestock feed components, as regards their sustainability profile. As a result, many feed producers are on the hunt for environmentally friendly ingredients, noted Beneo.

Faba beans help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at farm level, it maintains. “The faba beans can capture nitrogen from the air, to provide it for themselves and subsequent plants, which reduces the need for fertilizer input. Also, the faba beans are grown in a German region with good rainfall and soil with good water retention capacity, so that irrigation is not necessary.”

Beneo said it looks to source its faba beans at Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) Gold level from German farmers with long-term contracts, to ensure production and supply stability. Furthermore, the production process for these new ingredients is sustainable with low energy and water consumption, it added.

Last April, Beneo outlined​​ how it was building a new pulse processing facility in Offstein in Germany. 

Applications 

The faba bean starch-rich flour is a good source of starch and energy, while still containing a significant residual amount of protein of approximately 20%, making it suitable for many applications, including for use in salmon and trout diets, as well as in broilers’ starter and piglets’ weaner diets, said Beneo. Due to its good solubility and low iron content, it could also be applied in liquid feed calf milk replacers.

The faba bean protein concentrate is a source of plant protein, and has been developed as an alternative to animal and soy proteins: "It has excellent solubility in comparison to other vegetal proteins and a good amino acid profile. The faba bean hulls can be used to provide a source of insoluble fibres in feed for ruminants or gestating sows, while also offering certain protein and starch contents, which increase its nutritional value."

The faba bean hulls and protein concentrate are listed in the EU Catalogue of Feed Material while the faba bean starch-rich flour is in the EU Feed Materials Register.