Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

As interest in sustainable and plant-based alternatives to dairy products grows, legume-derived powders are being increasingly investigated for their functional properties in food systems. This study evaluates the solubility and emulsifying functionality of a novel fava bean milk powder (FBMP), produced from the Vicia faba cultivar Tiffany through enzymatic processing, UHT treatment, and spray drying. The solubility of reconstituted FBMP was tested under varying pH conditions (3–7) and physical treatments, including heating, high-shear mixing, ultrasonication, and soaking. Gravimetric analysis showed that solubility increased with pH and was highest after ultrasonic treatment, reaching 46 % at pH 7. Comparisons with cow’s milk powder indicated that FBMP reached approximately 57 % of the solubility of the reference dairy powder. Emulsions were prepared using FBMP at 10 % and 20 % concentrations, combined with varying oil-to-water ratios. Stability observations over 24 hours revealed that higher FBMP concentration and lower oil content (30:70 and 50:50) yielded more stable emulsions. These findings suggest that FBMP has potential as a functional ingredient in plant-based formulations but also highlight the need for processing optimization to improve its solubility and emulsifying performance.