The relevance and potential of the fermentation of faba bean and yellow pea

Pulses are the edible seeds from a legume plant, including beans, peas, lentils, lupin and other protein grains. They have great benefits for food security, nutrition, health, climate change and biodiversity. According to the UN, the cultivation of pulses is an effective strategy for achieving its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as they can contribute to the development of sustainable food systems and the eradication of world hunger and poverty (1).

Fermentation is a promising strategy for producing value-added, nutritious, and palatable pulse-based foods. Culinarily speaking, the fermentation of pulses can enhance their texture, appearance, colour and flavour. Regarding human health benefits, the fermentation of pulses can enhance protein digestibility, vitamin content, and bioavailability of minerals and reduce the content of non-nutritive compounds like flatulence-causing oligosaccharides. In addition, fermented pulses can contain beneficial microorganisms that could promote gut health.

The production process of fermented foods is often environmentally friendly, requiring low inputs of water and energy and limiting waste production. The shelf-life can be increased, helping to reduce food waste and energy-intensive logistics. Finally, fermented pulses address the demand for more nutritious plant-based protein options, addressing the need to decrease reliance on animal-based proteins.

For the above reasons, faba bean and yellow pea have great potential. We use them as study objects in the HealthFerm project, which will investigate the molecular changes caused in various foods by designed fermentation processes and their effects on food quality and health.

(1)    https://www.fao.org/world-pulses-day/en/