BENEO
https://www.beneo.com/About
BENEO offers functional ingredients that are derived from faba beans, chicory roots, beet sugar, rice and wheat and help to improve the health, taste, texture and nutritional value of a product. Through a unique chain of expertise, BENEO actively supports the development of more balanced and healthy food and feed products.
BENEO-Animal Nutrition offers a broad range of natural ingredients with nutritional benefits. The product range is comprised of vegetable proteins, digestible carbohydrates, prebiotic chicory root fibres and specialty rice ingredients. BENEO-Animal Nutrition extends BENEO´s unique expertise in human food to the world of pet food, livestock feed and aqua feed.
Company News
Vegetable Origin
5+ MIN
14/09/2026
Driving Sustainable Pet food Innovation with Faba Bean Ingredients
Faba bean ingredients present an attractive opportunity, offering a combination of nutritional, technical, and sustainability benefits that can support both product innovation and consumer wishes.
Evolving Pet Owner Expectations
Recently, there has been a groundswell of consumers driving change in pet food recipe formulation. When it comes to purchasing choices, many are going 'back to basics' regarding the ingredients in their pets' meals. Most consider the quality of ingredients (71%) and the nutritional value (72%) to be very important factors in their purchasing choices.i Also, more than 1 in 3 cat and dog owners buy natural pet food products when looking for pet food for specific needs. Because of this, focusing on recipe composition and ingredient choice is increasingly important for pet food producers to drive sales.
Alongside ingredient choice, sustainability is a key focus, with around 7 in 10 pet owners expecting pet food brands to actively reduce their environmental impact.iii Grain-free formulations and nutritional claims are also gaining more attention, and 'high in protein' is among the most attractive claims positively impacting the likelihood of a product purchase for cat and dog owners.iv
Plant-Based Protein Popularity
To address these rising trends, manufacturers are turning to plant-based sources for their cat and dog food formulations. 2 in 3 pet owners now consider plant-based proteins to be better for the environment,iii so natural and high-quality vegetal proteins with sustainable credentials, such as those derived from faba beans, are a valuable resource. This crop is popular with cat and dog owners too, reaching a similar appeal as more widely used crops like wheat, barley, or soy. In fact, 49% of pet owners strongly associate faba beans with being natural, and 45% with being sustainable.iv Faba beans provide a range of benefits that make them an attractive alternative to animal-derived or other plant-based ingredients, such as those made from pea.
Sustainable Success with Faba Beans
When it comes to sustainability, faba beans help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the farm level. Faba beans can capture nitrogen from the air to provide it for themselves and subsequent plants, reducing the need for fertilizer input and improving soil quality. They are a resilient crop that has significantly lower carbon emissions than animal protein and can be grown easily in the northern hemisphere. BENEO's faba beans are grown in Germany, in close proximity to the production plant, and are REDCert2 certified, which is equivalent to the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) from SAI at the highest 'Gold' level.
Localised transportation costs, the fact that no water is used during production, the low energy input needed compared to wet processes, and no requirement for chemicals or processing aids adds up to a more sustainable process that also delivers lower production costs. Also, the long-term contracts with local farmers ensure production and supply chain resilience for both BENEO and pet food producers using the company's faba bean protein, starch, and fibre ingredients.
The Nutritional and Technical Power of Faba Beans for Pet Food
BENEO's faba bean protein concentrate provides producers with a non-GMO, clean label source of high-quality vegetal protein that offers a good alternative to animal and soy proteins when creating plant-based or hybrid pet foods. Containing a minimum of 60% protein on dry matter, it offers (ileal) digestibility scores close to 90%. It also provides a good essential amino acid profile, which is relatively rich in lysine and can be combined with cereal proteins to achieve a complete essential amino acid profile. Additionally, it benefits from quite high levels of glutamine, which supports the growth of intestinal cells, as well as arginine, which is considered important for cognitive health.
Delivering Cost Savings in Wet Pet Food with Faba Beans
Wet pet food benefits from strong consumer appeal as it is often marketed as a healthier option. This positive perception is driving demand amongst pet owners that are open to spending more on what is considered a high-quality and more nutritious product. In fact, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.6% between 2024-2029 is predicted for wet pet food in terms of value.v Plant-based proteins, like those from faba beans, have a key role to play in recipe formulation, especially with almost half of cat and dog owners interested in seeing more plant-based proteins used in wet food.vi One great example is the use of BENEO's faba bean protein concentrate as an alternative to spray-dried animal blood plasma (ABP).
ABP is commonly used in super-premium and premium wet pet foods to deliver emulsifying and texturizing benefits, however these advantages come at a relatively high cost. Passion4Food, a specialist service provider for the pet food industry, conducted a series of tests which showed that BENEO's faba bean protein concentrate can either fully or partially replace ABP as a binder and emulsifier in pet food loaves (pâtés) and chunks-in-gravy, with cost saving potential of up to 47%.vii Based on these successful trials, BENEO filed an international patent application for its faba bean protein concentrate as an alternative to spray-dried animal blood plasma (ABP) in wet pet food, which was published in August 2025.
New Solution for Dry Pet Doods with Faba Bean Starch
Faba bean is also a great ingredient for pet food producers looking to capitalise on the popularity of dry pet food. BENEO's faba bean starch-rich flour is a legume starch alternative that can be used in non-grain dry extruded products such as dry pet food kibbles.
In further technical trials conducted by Passion4Food, BENEO's faba bean starch-rich flour was used as a partial and full pea starch replacement in non-grain recipes, leading to no significant differences in energy consumption during processing. The trials showed that full replacement of pea starch, with up to 20% inclusion of faba bean starch-rich flour, is possible without significant changes in kibble quality. The trials give pet food manufacturers another vegetal starch option for their dry pet food ingredient toolbox.
The Future of Faba is Bright
Faba bean ingredients offer pet food producers a winning scenario. They provide a natural solution with convincing sustainability credentials that allows producers to overcome the volatile availability and prices associated with animal (by)products. Combining this with their strong technological benefits, pet food producers now have more ways to meet consumer demands for healthy, nutritious, and more sustainable recipes.
By Dr. Maygane Ronsmans, Product Manager Animal Nutrition, BENEO, Belgium
Source: All Pet Food Magazine
References
BENEO Consumer Research on Pet Care 2025. FMCG Gurus conducted a quantitative online survey with 2.500 pet owners in the US, Brazil, UK, Germany, and China (250 cat and 250 dog owners per country).
BENEO Consumer Research on Pet Care 2025, N = 2.500.
BENEO Consumer Research on Pet Care 2025, N = 2.500.
BENEO Consumer Research on Pet Care 2025, N = 2.500.
Global Data; CAGR was calculated based on value in million euro.
BENEO Consumer Research on Pet Care 2025, N = 2.500.
This is based on an indicative annual consumption of 50 metric tonnes of ABP.
Proteins
4+ MIN
02/06/2026
Unlock Innovative Possibilities in Wet Pet Food Formulation with the Power of Faba Bean Protein
Demand for wet pet food is on the rise, with the segment's growth being driven by pet owners looking for premium and nutritionally balanced pet food with good palatability.i At the same time, consumers increasingly want to see more plant-based offerings that also reflect their own sustainability values. In response to these evolving expectations, BENEO has conducted a new set of technical trials to explore the potential of its faba bean protein concentrate as a functional, plant-based ingredient for wet pet food.
Exploring Alternatives to Animal Blood Plasma
In premium and super-premium wet pet food, maintaining consistent product quality is essential. These products typically contain at least 50 wt% total moisture, and their quality is standardised and maintained through the addition of spray-dried animal blood plasma (ABP). This ingredient provides excellent texturizing and emulsifying properties but can come at a high cost. Moreover, due to its animal origin, ABP is increasingly perceived as undesirable by consumers who increasingly want more plant-based ingredient options for their pets.
To address these challenges, BENEO initiated a series of technical trials in collaboration with Passion4Food, a specialist service provider for the pet food industry. The objective was to evaluate whether faba bean protein concentrate could be used as a suitable and cost-effective alternative to ABP in wet pet food formulations.
Technical Trials Confirm Strong Functional Performance
The initial trials investigated the performance of BENEO's faba bean protein concentrate when partially (50%) or fully (100%) replacing ABP in high-protein wet pet food loaves (paté format). The results showed that the ingredient could be successfully used for both full and partial ABP replacement, with no significant change in the end product's weight or texture. This means producers can maintain desired product quality while achieving considerable cost savings compared to ABP. Based on these promising results, BENEO carried out follow-up trials using a test recipe suitable for commercial scalability.
As part of the following additional trials, the same percentages of ABP and faba bean protein concentrate were used and compared to a test recipe in which ABP was partially replaced at 50% with pea protein concentrate.
The data demonstrated that BENEO's faba bean protein concentrate acted as an excellent and cost-effective alternative binder to ABP, with no significant changes observed in loaf height, weight, hardness, or adhesiveness. In contrast, the partial replacement of ABP with pea protein concentrate led to a significant decrease in hardness, indicating that faba bean protein concentrate provides a higher binding capacity in wet pet food loaves. This makes it a valuable ingredient for maintaining the desired texture of the end-product while reducing reliance on animal-derived binders.
Patent Application Supports Scientific Innovation
Following these successful results, BENEO filed an international patent application for the use of faba bean protein concentrate as an alternative to spray-dried animal blood plasma in wet pet food. The patent application was published in August 2025, underscoring BENEO's dedication to research-based innovation and functional ingredient development for the pet food industry.
Nutritional and Formulation Advantages
Beyond its technical and cost benefits, BENEO's faba bean protein concentrate also provides strong nutritional value. With a protein content of 61 g per 100 g on a dry matter basis and an ileal digestibility score of almost 90%, it is a highly digestible source of protein. Its amino acid profile is relatively rich in lysine and can complement cereal proteins, such as rice protein or vital wheat gluten, to achieve a complete essential amino acids profile.
The ingredient also provides flexibility for product positioning. It is listed in the EU Catalogue of Feed Materialsii and can be used in formulations that carry 'no grain' claims.
Contributing to Sustainable and Locally Sourced Solutions
Sustainability has become an increasingly important consideration for both consumers and producers. BENEO's faba bean protein concentrate offers strong sustainability credentials linked to the faba bean crop and to BENEO's local sourcing and production processes in Germany. Local production in the new state-of-the-art pulse-processing plant, located in Obrigheim, further supports short transport distances, secures supply and reduces the environmental impact compared to more resource-intensive ingredients.
Dr Maygane Ronsmans, Product Manager Animal Nutrition at BENEO, comments:
'With two in three pet owners considering plant-based proteins to be better for the environmentiii, demand has grown for sustainable and locally sourced vegetal protein ingredients. As the technical trials show, BENEO's faba bean protein concentrate offers pet food manufacturers a win-win scenario: producers can decrease their 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.'
Supporting the Next Generation of Wet Pet Food Innovation
The findings from BENEO's trials confirm that faba bean protein concentrate combines functionality, nutritional quality and sustainability. It performs effectively as a binder in wet pet food, delivers a high level of digestible protein, and provides a viable alternative to animal blood plasma in applications where consistency and texture are key.
For pet food manufacturers, this opens the door to new formulation strategies that balance technical performance, cost efficiency and environmental responsibility. As the market continues to evolve, ingredients such as BENEO's faba bean protein concentrate can help producers meet consumer expectations for more plant-based, locally sourced and high-quality products.
Interested in learning more about BENEO's ingredient solutions? Find more details here
By BENEO
Source: All Pet Food Magazine
References
i Wet Pet Food Market Analysis - Size, Share, and Forecast Outlook 2025 to 2035, Future Market Insights Inc, 2024.
ii Commission Regulation (EU) No 68/2013 of 16 January 2013 on the Catalogue of feed materials – Faba bean protein concentrate is listed under entry 3.7.5: 'Horse bean protein'
iii BENEO Consumer Research On Pet Care 2025. FMCG Gurus conducted a quantitative online survey in 2025 with 2.500 pet owners in the US, Brazil, UK, Germany, and China (250 cat and 250 dog owners per country).
