Can faba beans’ bitterness become sweet success for a cocoa alternative?
When scientists at the University of Helsinki and the Functional Foods Forum in Finland examined 264 participants’ sensory reaction to faba beans the results weren’t good. Most disliked the taste, citing bitterness, astringency and an earthy flavour.
But one pioneering confectionery start-up, Nukoko saw potential instead of problems with this flavor profile, recognising how closely these qualities matched cacao’s. For Nukoko, faba beans could be used as a tasty and sustainable alternative to chocolate.
And now it seems the experts agree they are onto something, since Nukoko has earned itself a spot on the prestigious European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) accelerator program. The entrepreneurship opportunity is designed to help groundbreaking food businesses scale their novel businesses and UK-based Nukoko features alongside 58 selected startups, which comprise 50 from across Europe and eight from Brazil.
Adding value to faba beans
EIT Food selects startups that challenge conventional practices across the entire food and agriculture value chain and seek to tackle urgent sustainability challenges. “Nukoko offers a very promising solution for adding value to faba beans, whose full potential has yet to be further exploited,” says Marie Russier, Programme Manager at EIT Food Accelerator Network.
EIT Food’s round one and two evaluators were impressed by Nukoko’s vastly experienced team of serial entrepreneurs and scientists, their strategic approach, early achievements, compelling products, and solid experience and knowledge, with the brand’s co-founders spending the last decade in the chocolate and food industry. “Nukoko not only contributes to a significant shift in sustainable food production, aligning with broader industry trends toward environmental responsibility and innovation, but they are taking an interesting approach trying to develop a product that meets the challenges of this highly CO2-emitting area,” Russier says.
EIT Food will follow the brand’s next product development and tech validation phase. It is particularly interested in seeing its focus on “broadening consumer taste tests and addressing sustainability concerns, which will be critical in validating their market potential and long-term viability”, adds Russier.
How to turn faba beans into chocolate
“Nukoko uses a proprietary technology which replicates the same fermentation process that changes cocoa beans into chocolate,” says Russier. The startup uses locally-sourced faba beans, which undergo a controlled fermentation, drying, roasting and grounding process. The powder is then used in the formulation of Nukoko’s chocolate products.
By joining the EIT Food Accelerator Network programme, the firm will gain access to EIT Food’s agrifood tech community and receive support to identify any technology gaps and re-shape their product tech development roadmap with experts. They will pitch their tech validation case and can win up to €50,000 to implement the next stage of their project.
