At Notre Dame University-Louaize’s (NDU) Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences (FNHS), Associate Professor, Dr. Christelle Bou-Mitri, and FNHS Researchers, Dr. Christelle Saleme and Ms. Christy Raad, were able to develop a plant-based alternative to the classic Levantine labneh using peas, lupin, and beans.
This initiative was taken partly in response to a growing market for vegan foods in Lebanon, coupled with an NDU student’s diagnosis with liver failure and subsequent switch to a plant-based diet. Vegan products in the country are not entirely accessible in terms of availability and affordability, which limits one’s options in adopting a vegan lifestyle, particularly for the sake of health risks. The foods that are available are mostly imported, signifying a gap in the local production of these alternatives.
Dr. Bou-Mitri, Dr. Saleme, and Ms. Raad thus decided to tackle this issue starting with a staple food: via thorough fermentation and processing, the combination of peas, lupin, and beans led to a successful vegan labneh alternative, achieving its taste and texture entirely dairy-free.
The results were promising, so much so that the FNHS team won the Lebanese Industrial Research Achievement (LIRA) project program, sponsored by Yummi Tummi, s.a.l. This funding will allow the purchase of essential equipment to test the physical and chemical properties of the vegan labneh and optimize its shelf life. The tools will likewise remain at the disposal of startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop and optimize new food products.
Further, in teaming up with FNHS Graduate students, Joy Samaha and Charbel Ghanem, and their startup for plant-based products, Legendairy, they were able to obtain funding from the Embassy of the Netherlands through Agrytech by Berytech. This wide span of resources will work toward helping the FNHS researchers develop their minimum viable product into a successful business with a significant market impact. In addition to the funds, Berytech will provide the necessary training, workshops, coaching, mentoring, and networking to promote their success.
The creativity and health-consciousness of Dr. Bou-Mitri, Dr. Saleme, and Ms. Raad’s venture is set to influence Lebanon’s rich food culture for the better. With an already strong start, NDU is excited to see what else awaits.