The Potential of Aquafaba as a Structure-Shaping Additive in Plant-Derived Food Technology

Aquafaba is the water solution left over from cooking legumes, mainly chickpeas. The liquid can also be obtained from canned beans. Aquafaba is currently very popular as an egg replacement in vegan diets. The chemical composition of aquafaba depends on the type of legume, variety, genotype and parameters during production, such as cooking time or proportions of water to seeds. Aquafaba can be used for its nutritional properties. Aquafaba is starting to be used more widely in food technology as well, due to its innovative texture-shaping properties. The foaming, emulsifying, gelling and thickening properties of aquafaba can be used in plant-based food recipes, but also in animal-based food recipes and 3D printing. So far, aquafaba has been used to make meringues, cakes, cookies, bread, crackers and vegan dairy substitutes. This raw material is used for the production of low-calorie food and for people on an egg-free diet. Perhaps the potential of this product is greater. The use of waste from legumes will be the answer from food producers to the needs of consumers, for whom environmental protection or the clean label trend are particularly important. In order to effectively use aquafaba in food technology, it is necessary to standardize its production process and conduct further research on the potential of using other legumes.