Testing a different route for a familiar pulse

White kidney beans are being investigated as a base for fermented beverages, with flavour as a central development challenge. In a study published in September, a mixture of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum JCM 1149 and Limosilactobacillus fermentum CIP 102980 achieved the highest overall acceptance score among the tested formulations. The advantage concerned the balance of the finished sample, rather than every individual measurement moving in the same direction.

Researchers compared the two strains individually, a mixed culture and an unfermented control. The beans underwent soaking, heating, grinding and filtration before the beverage was formulated with 8% added sugar. Fermentation took place at 37 °C until pH reached 4.6. The plantarum and mixed-culture samples reached that endpoint in 10 hours; fermentum alone required 11 hours. The study used three biological replicates.

The composition changed in several directions

The mixed culture reduced measured phytic acid by 18.43% relative to the unfermented control, compared with reductions of 9.86% and 10.71% for the single cultures. The authors discuss phytase as a possible mechanism, but did not directly measure that enzyme’s activity. The result therefore establishes a change in phytate content, not a demonstrated biochemical explanation or a measured improvement in mineral absorption.

Soluble protein fell while soluble peptides increased. In the mixed sample, the peptide increase was 16.03%; the authors consider both proteolysis and acid-driven protein aggregation when interpreting the pattern. Total free amino acids declined after fermentation, yet free essential amino acids increased by 14.54% in the mixed treatment, mainly alongside higher free lysine. These separate measurements should not be compressed into a broad claim that fermentation increased the beverage’s total protein.

Flavour depends on the whole mixture

GC–MS analysis identified 25 volatile compounds across seven chemical groups. Fermentation altered aldehydes, alcohols, acids, ketones and esters, but the outcomes depended on the culture. Fermentum alone received the lowest aroma score despite changing the chemical profile. The mixed and plantarum samples were described as having fruity, creamy and moderately acidic characteristics.

Twenty panel members from a university food-science faculty, aged 23–30, evaluated randomly coded samples on a nine-point scale. The mixed beverage led overall acceptability. That is useful screening evidence, but the panel was small and institutionally concentrated. It does not establish the preferences of a broader consumer population. The formulation also contained added sugar, so the trial should not be presented as evidence for an unsweetened or low-sugar product.

Digestion results need their own interpretation

Simulated gastrointestinal digestion increased the measured release of phenolic compounds from fermented samples. The reported phenolic bioaccessibility exceeded 600% because the calculation compared the amount measured after digestion with the initial measurable amount. It describes release and analytical accessibility within that laboratory system; it is not a percentage absorbed into a person’s bloodstream or a sixfold health benefit.

The work identifies a promising combination of cultures for further beverage development. It leaves strain-specific interactions and the formation of flavour compounds to future investigation, alongside optimisation for product stability. Its strongest contribution is a linked view of process, composition and sensory response, with enough detail to show why mixed fermentation deserves further testing rather than an immediate commercial performance claim.

SOURCES & TRANSPARENCYHow we work ↗
plant-based beverageswhite kidney beanfermentationsensory quality