Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. 
Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. What was studied?
This paper evaluated baki-bean-heavy-metal-safety for a novel perennial pulse marketed as Baki™ bean (pulses from sainfoin, Onobrychis spp.) by running two complementary safety assessments designed to mirror practical food-quality concerns. In Study I, the authors quantified heavy metals and other elements (including the most toxicologically important contaminants), plus folate and the non-protein amino acid canavanine, using multiple producer lots intended to represent real-world commercial sourcing. In Study II, they expanded the safety lens to hazards that often trigger regulatory action in plant foods—mycotoxins, microorganisms, and pesticide residues—using samples from a single production year and producer across varieties and locations, while also reporting basic macronutrient composition.
Who was studied?
No human or animal participants were studied; the “subjects” were Baki™ bean seed lots sourced from commercial sainfoin seed producers in Montana, USA. For Study I, nine Baki™ bean samples (seed produced between 2018–2020) were obtained from three producers and included multiple varieties (e.g., Eski, Shoshone, Delaney, AAC Mountainview, Remont-related lines), reflecting variability expected across supply chains. For Study II, seed harvested in 2022 from six fields supplied by one producer represented several varieties and production locations, with Delaney represented by both state-registered and farmer-maintained seed. This sampling frame is particularly relevant for certification programs because it separates “across-producer, across-year” signals for metals and nutrients from “single-year process control” signals for mycotoxins, microbes, and pesticides.
Most important findings
Overall results support baki-bean-heavy-metal-safety as a workable certification claim under the conditions tested: key toxic metals were not detected, detected metals were generally comparable to other foods, canavanine was below detection, and mycotoxins, microbial indicators, and pesticides were absent or below thresholds that typically drive enforcement actions—while highlighting cadmium monitoring as a sensible ongoing control point.
| Critical point | Details |
|---|---|
| Priority toxic metals were non-detectable | Arsenic, lead, mercury, chromium, beryllium, and silver were below limits of detection in Study I, indicating these high-concern contaminants were practically absent in tested lots. |
| Cadmium warrants routine monitoring | Cadmium ranged 0.03–0.15 ppm (dry matter basis); three samples exceeded 0.10 ppm, and the mean was not statistically below 0.1 ppm (a commonly referenced maximum level for pulses), making cadmium a logical HMTC “watch list” metal for lot-based verification and agronomy-based mitigation. |
| Canavanine was below detection | All Baki™ bean samples had canavanine below detection (<0.01 g/100 g), while an alfalfa check contained canavanine and a spiked positive control showed ~98.6% recovery, supporting confidence that non-detection reflects true absence at meaningful levels. |
| Mycotoxins and microbes were low under tested conditions | Aflatoxin, T2 toxin, and zearalenone were not detected; ochratoxin A and fumonisin were detected in single samples but at low levels discussed as below relevant limits; vomitoxin averaged 0.210 ppm (max 0.298 ppm). Microbial tests showed Salmonella negative, coliforms and E. coli<10 cfu g, mold mostly <10 g (one at 30), and plate counts 180–3300 g—well below an example usda specification for comparable bean products. < td> |
| Broad pesticide screen was clean | Across ~230 pesticide analytes, all residues were below limits of detection, suggesting minimal residue risk in the studied production context but still supporting continued surveillance as cultivation scales and inputs diversify. |
Key implications
For HMTC alignment, these data suggest primary regulatory impacts center on demonstrating non-detects for arsenic, lead, and mercury while treating cadmium as an ongoing control point; certification requirements should specify lot-based ICP testing with clear LOD/LOQ reporting, plus periodic mycotoxin and pathogen screening; industry applications include positioning Baki™ bean as a low-contaminant pulse with strong process-control expectations; research gaps include broader multi-region cadmium drivers and storage-condition mycotoxin risk; practical recommendations include agronomic guidance to minimize cadmium uptake, moisture control at harvest, and continued multi-residue pesticide surveillance to protect the baki-bean-heavy-metal-safety claim.
Citation
Craine EB, Sakiroğlu M, Barriball S, Peters TE, Schlautman B. Perennial Baki™ Bean Safety for Human Consumption: Evidence from an Analysis of Heavy Metals, Folate, Canavanine, Mycotoxins, Microorganisms and Pesticides. Molecules. 2024;29(8):1777. doi:10.3390/molecules29081777
