By Christian Philippsen, Managing Director, BENEO, Asia Pacific 

Recently, we have witnessed the plant-based sector making major strides in the Asia Pacific region. From Bangkok’s first plant-based mall to alternative food festivals such as a recent one in Singapore, the industry maintains its strong presence in the F&B space.  

Compared globally, Asia Pacific dominates the plant-based food market, driven by government R&D initiatives and new partnerships between local and international food companies.¹ 

Yet, amidst this progress, consumer needs and preferences are evolving. The novelty of plant-based products has diminished, prompting food manufacturers to experiment with new avenues to sustain the plant-based momentum.  

Food developers are increasingly turning to plant-based beverages as a key strategy. To craft these nutritious and tasty beverages, manufacturers can use ingredients such as faba beans and barley beta-glucans. 

Achieving pleasant textures and taste with faba beans 

Faba bean, also known as fava or broad bean, is a source of dietary fibre, protein, and starch, as well as vitamin C, folates, calcium, phosphorous, iron, and zinc.  

“BENEO’s faba bean concentrate boasts a 60 percent protein content, making it a healthy and nutritious enhancement to plant-based drinks.” 

Beyond their nutritional benefits, faba beans offer a host of textural advantages. Their high solubility creates a beautifully homogenous and stable drink with a pleasant texture and good taste.  

For instance, plant-based protein-enriched smoothies and vegan drinks have become staples in consumers’ healthy lifestyles. However, protein-enriched drinks are not the easiest to formulate, with many drinks leaving a residue at the bottom of the bottle. 

By incorporating the highly soluble faba bean into plant-based beverages, food developers can ensure a smooth texture, containing no sediment or sandy mouthfeel. In addition, faba protein has good emulsifying and foaming properties, which is useful for preparing plant-based drinks such as vegan cappuccinos with dairy-free coffee creamer.  

These unique attributes enable food manufacturers to create plant-based beverages that meet nutritional criteria and satisfy tastebuds. 

Enhancing plant-based beverages with barley beta-glucans 

Barley, an ancient grain, offers yet another valuable ingredient for plant-based beverages. Beta-glucans from barley are dietary fibres that provide various health benefits. In particular, BENEO’s Orafti® β-Fit is a wholegrain barley flour, rich in beta-glucans, that are fermentable dietary fibres.  

Orafti® β-Fit offers various health advantages, including helping to reduce blood cholesterol levels, supporting cardiovascular health, contributing to improved blood sugar levels, and promoting digestive health through fibre enrichment. 

Beyond its nutritional benefits, Orafti® β-Fit can be utilised in many plant-based dairy alternatives due to its textural properties. Its solubility, clean taste, neutral colour, and temperature stability enable food manufacturers to incorporate the ingredient in a wide variety of food applications. 

Moreover, Orafti® β-Fit blends well with customers’ sustainable and clean business goals, such as non-GMO and vegan-friendly labelling. It is also produced by a dry milling process that uses minimal water. This method enables all nutrients from the barley to be used, resulting in zero-waste. 

The plant-based industry will continue to make its mark in Asia Pacific’s F&B landscape this year. In order to keep up, food developers must be agile and able to adapt to evolving consumer preferences. Using ingredients such as faba beans and barley beta-glucans, a wide range of plant-based beverages can be made available that not only fit the nutritional needs of consumers but also meet taste and texture expectations. 

¹ Research and Markets – Global Plant-Based Food Market (by Type, Distribution Channel, & Region): Insights and Forecast with Potential Impact of COVID-19 (2022-2027) 

About the Author 

Christian Philippsen, Managing Director, BENEO Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd 

As Managing Director of BENEO Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Christian Philippsen charts the direction for the BENEO business and ensures that the company enjoys sustainable growth in the Asia Pacific region. 

Christian aims to further develop and grow the market for BENEO’s functional nutrients across the region, which includes functional fibres (inulin, oligofructose, beta-glucans), functional carbohydrates (Palatinose™, Isomalt), specialty rice ingredients (rice flours, rice starches, rice protein), and functional proteins (faba bean protein, textured wheat protein, wheat protein, rice protein). 

His 2013 move to Asia from Europe represents a welcome return to the region for Christian. Back in 2006 he kick-started his career in Singapore as a young marketing associate with BENEO-Palatinit Asia Pacific, the predecessor company of BENEO Asia Pacific today. Since this initial appointment, Christian has progressed within the organisation to hold several instrumental roles with the group. These roles, which have covered multiple Asian and European markets, have equipped him with the valuable industry knowledge, procurement expertise, insightful research and analysis skills, and vast marketing experience, which will drive BENEO’s business forwards in the region. 

Christian holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Ruprecht-Karls University in Germany. He lives in Singapore with his wife, and is a proud father of three. 

This story first appeared in our “State of Snacking: Healthy, Tasty, and Indulgent” issue.