Source: Decision Maker Retail Research Institute (Official Account ID: RetailFocus) Author: Yvonne
According to FoodBev, British startup Tarwi Foods has launched a new line of lupine snacks, including pickled lupine and lupine hummus.
Pickled lupine comes in three flavors: sea salt, basil, and pepper; lupine hummus comes in four flavors: plain, fragrant prairie, sun-dried tomato, and beetroot.
It is reported that lupine has three times more antioxidants than berries, more protein than quinoa, more fiber than oats, and more iron than kale. The company claims that its Lummus products are "more protein and fiber than traditional hummus, with zero net carbs and 50% less fat and calories."
Lupin bean in English name lupin bean, read it again, is it very familiar?
That is, Taiwan's famous "Lu Binghua", but we are not talking about flowers today, but seeds.
The oldest record of lupine comes from ancient Egypt, dating back to the 22nd century BC, when domesticated lupine seeds were found in the tombs of the Twelfth Dynasty of the Egyptian pharaohs.
However, traditional lupines cannot be eaten, contain alkaloids, and are not only bitter, but also poisonous. But the omnipotent "foodies" have cultivated "sweet lupine".
Today, lupine consumption is most common in Mediterranean countries and their former colonies, especially in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Brazil, as well as throughout the Middle East, traditionally as a pickled snack food.
Lupines are currently widely cultivated in Australia, Europe, Russia and the Americas as a high-protein additive for green manure, livestock feed and grazing plants, as well as food.
In parts of Europe and Australia, lupines are also widely used in wheat flour to enhance flavor and give foods a rich creamy color.
As of 2020, only 4% of lupine are consumed by humans, most of which are used as feed. As the trend towards plant-based diets deepens, lupines are increasingly being used as a source of plant-based protein in the world market.
In terms of nutritional value, lupine does not contain starch, which is very rare in edible beans.
The outer layer of lupine has a thick seed coat (25%), which consists mainly of cellulose (insoluble bran fiber), which is removed in the first step of processing; the core of lupine is rich in protein (40%), fiber (40%) and medium fat (8%), mainly unsaturated fatty acids.
Lupine contains nine amino acids, as well as a moderate amount of carotenoids β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and tocopherols (vitamin E), so lupine oil has a high antioxidant capacity.
From the perspective of planting characteristics, lupine is more adaptable to climate and contributes to soil-friendly crop rotation than soybeans, and is increasingly considered a cash crop alternative to soybeans.
Many startups around the world have begun to innovate with lupines and develop new raw materials with specific functional qualities and nutrients.
For example, Wide Open Agriculture in Western Australia is extracting advanced proteins from lupines that are widely grown in the region, working with researchers at Curtin University to test how lupine-based proteins can be used in foods such as bread and pasta.
Malaysia's raw material supplier CK, which has been using lupines to make LuPro lupine products, is also one of the company's best-selling products that can help boost the protein content in its food and can also serve as an alternative to starch in its formulations.
As the plant-based industry matures, more and more brands stand out from the competition by using more diverse plant crops. Lupines became one of the important choices.
Startup Food Company Eighth Day Foods has launched Lupreme Plant Meat, made from 100% whole-kernel sweet lupines, using a traditional fermentation process that tastes, looks and cooks similar to chicken-textured animal meat, which can be sliced, made into sausages or minced meat.
Swedish company Lupinita uses lupines to make soy-free tempeh, which is fermented from locally grown lupines and can be pickled, fried and grilled like traditional soy products.
There are also companies that use lupines to make alternatives to eggs and dairy products, such as Lupini Milk, which launched 100% plant-based lupine milk, and Nabati Foods, which launched a new vegan gluten-free, soybean-free lupine liquid egg alternative.
Brami launched a conveniently packaged lupine snack three years ago, available in a variety of flavours such as garlic rosemary and chili lime, containing only pickled lupines that are naturally high in protein and fiber and are hugely popular in the market.
Lupii, New York, makes protein-rich, vegan-friendly energy bars that combine lupine with other botanical ingredients such as cashews, ginger, cocoa beans and cranberries. In the future, Lupii plans to launch more lupine-based products, including potato chips, biscuits and so on.
2021 is known as the "year of plant-based take-off", and the three major needs of health, trendiness and environmental protection are jointly driving the evolution of the food industry.
Soybeans, oats, badan wood, chickpeas, etc. have successively become the focus of the market, and in the future, new brands want to seize the subdivision track, lupine may have the opportunity to become a breakthrough, but whether it can shine in the Chinese market, but also take into account the planting environment, eating habits and other factors.