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).