In wet pet food formulations, BENEO has revealed groundbreaking results from recent technical trials, showing that their faba bean protein concentrate is a highly efficient, economical, and sustainable substitute for spray-dried animal blood plasma (ABP).
ABP has long been a valued functional ingredient in high-end wet pet meals due to its emulsifying and texturising qualities. As customer demand swings toward more environmentally friendly, plant-based solutions, producers are facing hurdles due to their high cost and animal origin. Given the explosive expansion of wet pet food, BENEO’s invention offers pet food manufacturers looking to strike a balance between sustainability, cost, and performance a timely solution.
The studies, which were carried out in collaboration with Passion4Food, investigated substituting 50% and 100% of ABP in high-protein wet pet food loaves (paté). The findings demonstrated that BENEO’s faba bean protein concentrate maintains loaf height, weight, hardness, and adhesiveness while matching ABP’s functioning. Notably, faba bean protein had a higher binding capacity than pea protein concentrate, enhancing texture and preventing the firmness loss that pea protein is known to cause.
“BENEO’s faba bean protein concentrate offers pet food manufacturers a win-win scenario,” said Dr. Maygane Ronsmans, Product Manager Animal Nutrition at BENEO. “They can reduce recipe costs, while benefitting from secure supply and meeting consumer expectations for more sustainable and plant-based pet foods, without impacting the quality of the end product.”
BENEO’s faba bean protein concentrate offers significant nutritional and environmental advantages in addition to its technical excellence. It offers a highly digestible protein source that is high in lysine, complementing cereal proteins for a balanced amino acid profile. Its protein concentration is 61g/100g (dry matter), and its ileal digestibility score is close to 90%. The ingredient, which is locally sourced and produced in Germany, supports “no grain” claims and complies with environmental promises made by producers.
After the trials were successful, BENEO submitted an international patent application in August 2025 for its faba bean protein concentrate, which is an alternative to ABP. The decision represents a significant advancement for the pet food sector, allowing producers to experiment with plant-based formulas while keeping costs down and appealing to today’s environmentally concerned pet owners.
BENEO’s faba bean protein concentrate has demonstrated sustainability, scalability, and functionality, and it has the potential to usher in a new era of wet pet food by providing high-quality nutrition and texture while lowering dependency on components sourced from animals.
