Finding the right flavour with fava beans.
Why fava beans just might be the next big thing in ice cream.
Finally, a plant-based ingredient that makes it possible to match the mouthfeel, taste and rich creaminess of traditional milk-based ice cream.
Ronnie Kragh Enggaard is one of our Ingredients Experts at the ice cream competence centre in Aarhus, Denmark. In his role, he develops, tests and tries new ideas and recipes for ice cream, and his recent focus is plant-based products. From that work, what Ronnie Kragh Enggaard sees as one of the next big things in ice cream has emerged.
An oval, curved – and at least in the ice cream world, fairly unutilised – bean that grow in green, leathery pods has proved to be perfect for making frozen delights:
So, which are the qualities that make fava beans so ideally suited for ice cream production? Before we go into that, let’s take a step back.
In classic ice cream, the cream provides both fat and protein. However, many hybrid products produced over the last few years have been using vegetable fat from, for example, palm oil or coconut oil instead of milk fat. These ice cream products can be so close to classic ice cream that there are no, or very small, noticeable differences in taste and quality. Plant-based fat has a price advantage too – in short, it is cheaper than milk fat. And at the same time, there is a clear demand originating both from the vegan segment and an increasing climate awareness among consumers. Taking all these parameters into account, it is no wonder that many manufacturers are looking into using plant proteins in their ice cream.
Plant-based ice cream has its challenges, though. In addition to the processing challenges described in this article, there are the issues of taste and colouration. This is where fava beans come in – and provide a solution. They are neutral in taste and not as bitter as, for example, peas. When it comes to colouration, there is another upside to fava beans. Ingredients like oats and peas are brown or grey, whereas fava beans have a white, milk-based ice cream-resembling colour. This offers flexibility in production. While it is tricky to alter the colour for pea or oat-based products, it is not difficult to get the right pinkish nuance for, say, a strawberry-flavoured fava bean ice cream. Furthermore, their low viscosity makes it easy to manage them in production. They also have a good amino acid profile and a comparatively low CO2 footprint.
Many consumers favour a healthy lifestyle. They prioritise wholesome food. But when it comes to treats like ice cream, the perspective is somewhat different. Ronnie Kragh Enggaard explains:
“When we eat breakfast, or have lunch, we might be ready to make small compromises on taste. After all, we want to focus on eating healthy. But when it comes to ice cream, we all want that good old creamy, tasty product. We buy it to really please ourselves. To indulge. So our objective from the beginning of this project was to not compromise taste or mouthfeel.”
It seems Ronnie and his team are on target. At least judging from a blind test conducted at the SIGEP 2024 Expo in Rimini, Italy. Visitors to the Tetra Pak booth were asked to try two samples of ice cream – one based on milk and one on fava beans – without knowing which was which. The result? A larger portion of people chose the fava bean product as their preferred option (43% vs 35% for the milk-based ice cream. 19% liked both varieties just as much). And 62% responded “probably” or “definitely” to the question “if you found fava bean ice cream in the store where you usually shop, how likely would you be to buy it?”.
Introducing new ingredients to a well-functioning production process can be tricky. New equipment may be required, processes are different, production parameters must be adjusted and tested, operators need training … are fava beans any different? “The fantastic thing is that we have developed a solution that you can run on existing equipment. For you as a customer, there is no new investment. You can go ahead and use the solution at basically any ice cream production line. There is no issue to shift from dairy to fava beans and back. The only thing is that you would need a note on allergens on the packaging, like ‘may contain traces of milk’ or something along those lines,” says Ronnie.
The solution is, of course, tried and tested.
“We have worked on the technical aspects to make sure we can incorporate the air, get the overrun we need, and make it run in a stable way. Fava beans don’t create too much viscosity either, so they don’t block the system. They are really easy to work with.”
But what about getting the right fava bean mix to base your product on? Ronnie has an answer to that too.
“Here at Tetra Pak, we can deliver packaging materials, service, spare parts and all these things. But we are also able to supply our customers with ingredients. We have made a blend of fava beans stabilizers and other ingredients, so you can actually get the full package of ingredients from us.”
But, of course, it doesn’t stop there. All the experience, from all links in the ice cream production chain, the Aarhus team has gathered over the decades is at your disposal.
“I think working with us really comes with a different type of package, because we have the operational know-how of equipment. Yes, an ingredient supplier is able to produce something that tastes good, just like us – but we can also make a real-scale proof of concept and be operational in the customer’s own factory. This increases speed to market and reduces risk. And by helping customers in their research & development process, it becomes easy for them to start thinking about what their next product should be. We have that innovation process together, like a fast track to support them in their journey, and that helps them stay ahead of competition.”
Returning to the opening point about ice cream indulgence, Ronnie sees marketing opportunities beyond the vegan segment and plant-based healthiness. With their fresh taste, fava beans are great enablers of truly delicious ice cream products and have the potential to combine the best of two worlds. Or, as Ronnie puts it:
“Fava bean-based ice cream is like a next adventure for our customers. They can go to market with a product that is so new, so tasty, so good – a product that offers an opportunity to really differentiate themselves from the competition. Because if you have a product with a sharp climate profile that tastes and is experienced as classic ice cream – then why wouldn’t consumers choose it?”
