Could mung beans be the future of meat and eggs? The 3,500-year-old ancient beans are becoming a popular plant-based ingredient.
Fuji Plant Protein Labs — which manufactures plant-based and gluten-free ingredients –announced it is launching its MuPI / Glucodia ingredient into the commercial foodservice, processed foods, and sports supplement markets.
MuPI / Glucodia is a plant-based protein isolate made from mung beans, a plant species in the legume family that was widely cultivated throughout India around 3,500 years ago. Mung beans are rich in antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, and fiber.
The mung bean-based ingredient has a shelf life of 256 days. It stores and processes like flour but has more health benefits than traditional wheat.
MuPI / Glucodia — which is free from nuts, soy, and GMOS — has a total crude protein content of more than 80 percent. According to a press release, the ingredient is easy to digest, rich in essential amino acids, and carries a better flavor than soy, pea, and hemp proteins.
Fuji Plant Protein Labs says the ingredient can be used in vegan egg and plant-based meat products. It could also be used in baked goods, protein powders, protein bars, pasta, smoothies, and egg-free mayonnaise. The company has used mung beans mixed with textured soy protein to make vegan crab cakes.
Mung Beans in Vegan Food
Mung beans aren’t a new addition to the vegan food scene. California-based food tech company JUST uses mung beans to make plant-based egg mix. The mung beans help the liquid egg gel and cook like egg, and turmeric gives the mix its golden color. Canola oil, dehydrated onion, natural carrot extractives, and tapioca syrup are also included in the recipe.
JUST’s mung bean egg mix — which contains no cholesterol, trans fat, or saturated fat — scrambles and tastes just like eggs. It can be used to make French toast, omelets, waffles, Pad Thai, and quiche.
The vegan egg has proved popular so far. Canada’s largest quick-service restaurant chain Tim Hortons recently added a vegan omelette sandwich option featuring the mung bean egg patty.
The plant-based egg has also won over Grammy award-winning rapper T-Pain and media personality Kim Kardashian.
