Müller’s Mühle dairy alternative
Müller’s Mühle, one of the leading suppliers of legume and rice flours, has invested €14.5 million in new refining technology for legume flours. With the help of a modern air separation plant, the company can now produce functional flours with a protein content of up to 65 per cent, enabling protein enrichment and nutritional optimisation of many foods. They are particularly suitable as a basis for plant-based alternatives such as meat, egg and milk substitutes, as well as for snacks, baked goods and pasta.
Müller’s Mühle uses different legume species as raw materials, and processes them gently to preserve their valuable nutrients. The flours are marketed under the “SMART Pulses Pro” brand. At source, they are naturally free of allergens and are also clean label.
With their high-quality nutritional and functional properties, “SMART Pulses Pro” ingredients enable the development of innovative product concepts in the plant-based segment.
From cheese, yoghurt and quark substitutes to plant-based drinks and desserts, the range of applications for milk alternatives is huge. In this area, lentil-based flours are particularly interesting thanks to their relatively neutral taste profile. From a sensory point of view, SMART ingredients also score in terms of texture: they impart appealing consistency and creaminess to products. Furthermore, their nutritional profile enables high-protein positioning and a desirable NutriScore.
Meat substitutes
Thanks to their protein content and structure-forming properties, “SMART Pulses Pro” concentrates can be further processed into high-quality texturates that serve as a basis for meat substitutes. In addition to purely vegan and vegetarian products, pulse-based texturates are also suitable for hybrid products in which the meat content is partially replaced.
Egg substitutes
Be it for baked goods, vegan mayonnaises or dressings: the emulsifying effect of the new concentrates makes it possible to replace eggs in a variety of recipes. But the legume flours are also the base for innovative egg substitutes, such as vegan scrambled eggs.
Sustainability
In addition to protein, Müller’s Mühle legume flours provide dietary fibre and minerals, B vitamins and trace elements and, in this respect, are far superior to protein isolates. In terms of sustainability, the flours are convincing due to their resource-saving cultivation: legumes do not require artificial nitrogen fertiliser, increase soil fertility and have a low water requirement. Legume-based products therefore meet the needs of environmentally-conscious consumers who are willing to pay a higher price for food that is produced as sustainably as possible.
Müller’s Mühle lentil pasta
”Vegan, high-protein, low carb, clean label, free-from – pulses serve several major food trends at once. Moreover, with their low carbon footprint and excellent nutritional profile, they are the ideal raw material for a sustainable diet,” said Uwe Walter, Managing Director at Müller’s Mühle. “We are therefore convinced that ingredients based on these superfoods will become increasingly important for contemporary food concepts. From new product development to reformulation, with our new functional variants, we can support food manufacturers better than ever.”
Müller’s Mühle is part of the GoodMills Deutschland GmbH group of companies. Its core competence lies in the procurement, processing and refinement of pulses; in addition, Müller’s Mühle is the largest rice refiner in Europe.
Get your entries in for the Fi Europe Innovation Awards & the Start-up Innovation Challenge 2021
, /in E-News /by panglobalFi Europe combined with Hi Europe, the world’s leading F&B ingredients show, will once again this year recognise outstanding achievements in the industry. Startups launched within the last 5 years are invited to share their most innovative product, service or solution by submitting an entry before 17 September for the Startup Innovation Challenge 2021, while exhibiting companies participating in the event are invited to submit their entries before 24 September for the Fi Europe Innovation Awards 2021.
There are eight categories in the Fi Innovation Awards 2021, seven of which are open to exhibitors only (online or in-person), while for the first time this year the Future of Nutrition category will honour people from non-exhibiting companies, associations or organisations.
Both the Startup Innovation Challenge and the Fi Europe Innovation Awards are well established and highly prestigious, acknowledging and highlighting ground-breaking innovations.
From ingredients, process technology and equipment, to new strategic approaches and initiatives, for many years, the Fi Europe Innovation Awards have honoured pioneering work – yet they always mirror current industry trends. This year, the finalists and winners will be chosen by a jury of industry experts chaired by Prof Colin Dennis, who is Chair of the Board of Trustees of both IFIS and the British Nutrition Foundation. The winners will be announced live in Frankfurt during Fi Europe and will be streamed online too.
Prof Dennis, who has been the Fi Innovation Awards jury chair since 2019, highlights the role the Fi Europe Innovation Awards play in recognising innovation in the F&B industry: “Innovation in the food industry is vital to its future success. Meeting consumer and market needs, while considering the health of people and the planet, diversity and inclusivity are key drivers for companies. Innovations in processes, ingredients and products continue to deliver nutritional benefits and/ or new sensory experiences. The Fi Europe Innovation Awards recognise the many exciting developments in all these areas and illustrate the pace of innovation in the sector. I very much look forward to working with colleagues on judging the entries for 2021.”
Fi Innovation Awards categories
Companies can submit an entry for one or more of the following categories. The jury will give preference to new products introduced within the last two years:
Startup Innovation Challenge
Now in its sixth year, the Startup Innovation Challenge is a unique competition aimed at supporting innovative projects within the F&B industry through a specialised support programme tailored to startup’s needs.
This contest is open to all startups with innovations targeting the F&B sector with a focus on:
The awards will be hosted in conjunction with Fi Europe combined with Hi Europe 2021, the world’s largest gathering of ingredient buyers and decision makers. Finalists will gain global exposure and meet key industry players who can help take their innovations to the next level.
Great prizes
All finalists will be invited to pre-record a presentation pitch which will be featured during the online event, as well as give a live pitch in-person at Fi Europe combined with Hi Europe 2021. The winners can look forward to prizes such as personal mentoring from a jury member of their choice, a booth at Fi Europe 2022 or an Fi Global Insights & Ingredients Network Digital Package to promote their online presence throughout the year.
Startups can select multiple categories, but will only compete in one. The shortlisting jury will determine which one is most suitable for applicants based on the information submitted.
Categories for the Start-up Innovation Challenge
Enter here:
For the Fi Innovation Awards go here:
https://www.figlobal.com/fieurope/en/show-highlights/innovation-awards.html
For the Startup Innovation Challenge, visit:
https://www.figlobal.com/fieurope/en/show-highlights/startup-innovation-challenge.html
Uelzena Group publishes sustainability report 2020
Sustainability, /in E-News /by panglobalThe Uelzena Group has published its sixth sustainability report with the title “Designing the future together”. Progress, measures and key successes were also reported in the 2020 business year within the five action fields of company, products, production, employees, and social and regional responsibility. Data was collected in accordance with the international GRI standard.
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
The Uelzena Group says it is continually working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in production. To reduce emissions along the value-added chain, the Group says it is essential to focus on the upstream processes – specifically milk production. A pilot project was initiated with the aim of decreasing avoidable emissions in this area. It looks at the carbon footprint of diary farming and milk production and demonstrates options for dairy farmers to reduce their own emissions.
Focus on togetherness
The Covid-19 pandemic turned the working and business world upside down, the company notes, pointing out that lockdown measures and their economic impact also affected employees of the Uelzena Group in a variety of ways. Positive effects included a stronger team spirit and the expansion of digital possibilities, while negative effects were caused by the many necessary process adjustments. Ensuring the health and safety of the employees whilst also sustaining the business processes as a milk-processing company was a major challenge that Uelzena was able to handle successfully.
Sustainable milk production
Incorporating sustainability aspects with regard to the primary ingredient of milk holds an especially high priority for Uelzena as a milk-processing company. In 2020, the volume of raw milk supplied rose by further seven percent. 76 percent of this milk is VLOG certified, which means that no genetically modified crops are used in the cattle feed.
In order to investigate aspects of sustainability at the level of milk production, Uelzena participates in the QM sustainability module milk.
Synergy Flavours adds to its citrus portfolio with new Italian extracts
, /in Product news /by panglobalBergamot from Calabria, Italy
Synergy Flavours has drawn on the 130-year heritage of its Italian business to develop a new Italian Provenance citrus range, which taps into consumer demand for premiumisation and increased product transparency. The extracts, developed using traditional extraction techniques to produce distillates, infusions and washes, include Calabrian lemon, Italian blood orange, Italian bergamot, Sicilian blonde orange, Sicilian mandarin, Sicilian lemon and Ligurian / Sicilian chinotto.
The new extracts deliver signature flavours to products from beverages, to baked goods and dairy products. Customers can add a sweet and juicy taste to their products with Sicilian blonde orange, or a complex sweet and sour note with Sicilian mandarin. For a distinct fresh, zesty aroma with a bitter and pungent profile, they can consider Italian bergamot, which is particularly suited to tea (Earl Grey), juices and alcoholic beverage applications.
Giorgio Ferluga, technical manager, Synergy Flavours Italy, commented: “Italy is world-renowned for citrus and particularly lemon, which has been cultivated here for over 1,000 years. Processing the highest quality fruits directly from nature in a sustainable way enables us to deliver natural and authentic citrus profiles that meet the specific application requirements of our customers. Our contracts and agreements with domestic suppliers in Italian growing regions guarantee reliable and efficient supply. Alongside this, our rich heritage and citrus know-how means we can help provide new inspiration to our customers so that they can excite consumers’ taste buds.”
Citrusology
Synergy has decades of experience in developing citrus profiles using a range of extraction methods and using different techniques to create natural flavours. This expertise has culminated in Synergy’s new global Citrusology programme, which includes a series of educational webinars, that help food and beverage manufacturers to explore the nuances of flavour across regions and citrus varieties. The goal of this programme is to help customers find their path to provenance, whether that be through a natural flavour which delivers a signature tone and is reminiscent in profile to the provenance material, or by enabling provenance declarations through named source ingredients, such as the new Italian extracts.
Vicky Berry, European Business Development Manager, Synergy Flavours, commented: “While provenance is a growing trend for consumers, manufacturers have many choices and considerations when it comes to creating a provenance-inspired citrus product. In some markets and for some consumers, using named source materials is the preference, however, there are regulations and supply considerations to be taken into account. There is no ‘one size fits all’ and a whole world of possibilities exist when innovating with citrus. We work collaboratively with every customer to help them to take their citrus products to a new level.”
International Molasses introduces powdered sweetener made from cane juice
, /in Product news /by panglobalInternational Molasses, a leading supplier of molasses and natural sweeteners, has introduced CaneRite™ Panela, an all-natural, free-flowing powder sweetener made from the freshly squeezed juice of the entire sugar cane plant. Unlike conventional “raw sugar” products, CaneRite Panela is unrefined and non-centrifuged, so that it authentically and comprehensively retains all the cane plant’s original flavor and nutritional benefits.
Characterized by mellow notes of toffee and caramel, CaneRite Panela’s flavor profile delivers a satisfying, “sweet but not too sweet” taste. Its nutritional profile is equally impressive: by keeping all nutrients inherent to the whole cane plant – including magnesium phosphorus, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and zinc – CaneRite Panela has five times the vitamins and minerals of raw sugar. The product is also is rich in antioxidants.
Ingredient for North American food manufacturers
Panela is a traditional staple in Latin America and many other parts of the world. Its ability to harness the
wholesomeness of cane juice has been generally ignored by food manufacturers in the United States; with CaneRite Panela, International Molasses is making the core ingredient available to North American food manufacturers in a form that is easy to use in a wide array of formulations.
CaneRite Panela is an attractive sweetener option for a variety of food applications, including spices, BBQ and other sauces, cookies, bakery items, bars and confectionary items. For solids, CaneRite Panela offers excellent binding properties and a natural brown coloring with caramel notes. For all applications, it aligns with non-GMO and clean label ingredient claims increasingly popular with modern consumers.
“CaneRite Panela combines the flavour and nutrition benefits of a sweetener widely used in other markets with an ease of formulation attractive to North American food manufacturers,” said Amy Targan, President of International Molasses and its sister company, Malt Products Corp. “It also amounts to a sort of ‘nature-made’ brown sugar, eliminating the multi-step process often utilized to produce brown sugars by combining white sugar with molasses products.”
Sustainable farms in Ecuador
CaneRite Panela is sourced from sustainable farms in Ecuador that have been recognized for their development of innovative methods of organic farming. Officially known as the ReBird-Avez Project, the initiative fosters protection and propagation of native birds and insects – and utilizes these species to control pests, thereby allowing farmers to eliminate pesticide use.
AstaReal introduces high-quality feed ingredient brand NOVASTA
, /in Product news /by panglobalAstaxanthin powder
AstaReal is launching its astaxanthin brand NOVASTA® for antioxidant-rich pet food and feed supplements in the European market. With its high content of natural astaxanthin and additional valuable carotenoids, proteins, carbohydrates and essential fatty acids, the wholesome ingredient supports optimal health and nutrition for a variety of animals.
Microalgae
Astaxanthin is nature’s most powerful antioxidant. Derived from the microalgae species Haematococcus pluvialis, studies have shown that it has wide-ranging benefits for muscles, eyes, the brain, immune system and much more. As it is suitable for all animals, including pets and those in competitive sport, agriculture and aquaculture, the market opportunities for NOVASTA are vast.
For farmers, safeguarding animal health is key to achieving the highest possible yield from cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry and other livestock. NOVASTA supports productivity in agriculture by encouraging improved fertility, better growth during suckling, more successfully hatched chicks and stronger immune defence for overall health.
Moreover, NOVASTA ensures optimal growth, health and pigmentation in fish and crustaceans. It also allows aquaculturists to use fewer fish-based products, as it is derived wholly from algae in environmentally sound aquaculture.
Microalgae-derived astaxanthin represents a sustainable and naturally sourced feed ingredient with excellent eco credentials. In addition, it is easy to combine with other nutrients for a wide array of innovative animal products such as dry and wet food, powder mixes, extruded snacks, soft chews, flakes, tablets, softgel capsules and liquid solutions.
Müller’s Mühle invests €14.5 million in vegetable proteins
, /in E-News /by panglobalMüller’s Mühle dairy alternative
Müller’s Mühle, one of the leading suppliers of legume and rice flours, has invested €14.5 million in new refining technology for legume flours. With the help of a modern air separation plant, the company can now produce functional flours with a protein content of up to 65 per cent, enabling protein enrichment and nutritional optimisation of many foods. They are particularly suitable as a basis for plant-based alternatives such as meat, egg and milk substitutes, as well as for snacks, baked goods and pasta.
Müller’s Mühle uses different legume species as raw materials, and processes them gently to preserve their valuable nutrients. The flours are marketed under the “SMART Pulses Pro” brand. At source, they are naturally free of allergens and are also clean label.
With their high-quality nutritional and functional properties, “SMART Pulses Pro” ingredients enable the development of innovative product concepts in the plant-based segment.
From cheese, yoghurt and quark substitutes to plant-based drinks and desserts, the range of applications for milk alternatives is huge. In this area, lentil-based flours are particularly interesting thanks to their relatively neutral taste profile. From a sensory point of view, SMART ingredients also score in terms of texture: they impart appealing consistency and creaminess to products. Furthermore, their nutritional profile enables high-protein positioning and a desirable NutriScore.
Meat substitutes
Thanks to their protein content and structure-forming properties, “SMART Pulses Pro” concentrates can be further processed into high-quality texturates that serve as a basis for meat substitutes. In addition to purely vegan and vegetarian products, pulse-based texturates are also suitable for hybrid products in which the meat content is partially replaced.
Egg substitutes
Be it for baked goods, vegan mayonnaises or dressings: the emulsifying effect of the new concentrates makes it possible to replace eggs in a variety of recipes. But the legume flours are also the base for innovative egg substitutes, such as vegan scrambled eggs.
Sustainability
In addition to protein, Müller’s Mühle legume flours provide dietary fibre and minerals, B vitamins and trace elements and, in this respect, are far superior to protein isolates. In terms of sustainability, the flours are convincing due to their resource-saving cultivation: legumes do not require artificial nitrogen fertiliser, increase soil fertility and have a low water requirement. Legume-based products therefore meet the needs of environmentally-conscious consumers who are willing to pay a higher price for food that is produced as sustainably as possible.
Müller’s Mühle lentil pasta
”Vegan, high-protein, low carb, clean label, free-from – pulses serve several major food trends at once. Moreover, with their low carbon footprint and excellent nutritional profile, they are the ideal raw material for a sustainable diet,” said Uwe Walter, Managing Director at Müller’s Mühle. “We are therefore convinced that ingredients based on these superfoods will become increasingly important for contemporary food concepts. From new product development to reformulation, with our new functional variants, we can support food manufacturers better than ever.”
Müller’s Mühle is part of the GoodMills Deutschland GmbH group of companies. Its core competence lies in the procurement, processing and refinement of pulses; in addition, Müller’s Mühle is the largest rice refiner in Europe.
GoodMills collaborates with Equinom to perfect the pea
, /in E-News /by panglobalGoodMills will collaborate with Equinom, an Israel-based, plant tech company, to crossbreed Yellow Pea seeds to achieve a tailored raw material.
Equinom creates new seed varieties using patented AI-driven breeding technology and, by harnessing the natural diversity in crops, no gene editing or modification is required.
For GoodMills, Equinom will research how best to crossbreed Yellow Pea seeds to achieve a tailored raw material with outstanding sensory properties: The ingredients derived from it are expected to be without off-flavours and provide ideal protein composition for an outstanding texture in finished products such as meat and dairy alternatives as well as pasta.
With the plant-based market currently experiencing a phenomenal boom, legumes are celebrating a real comeback. According to Markets and Markets, “the global pea protein market size is projected to grow from US$745 million in 2020 to $1,400 million by 2025, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.5% during the forecast period”. [1]
Pea organoleptic properties
GoodMills has been active in the field of plant-based proteins for decades and, accordingly, already provides the industry with state-of-the art ingredients. However, particularly with peas, there is still some scope when it comes to the further development of organoleptic properties.
Michael Gusko, Global Innovation Director at GoodMillsX – GoodMills Group’s innovation task force, says: “In Equinom, we’ve found a partner with whom we can get to the heart of this challenge – by creating our own perfect raw material. As the two leading innovators in our fields, we’re always looking for inventive yet natural solutions, and we share the same passion: creating a sustainable, plant-based future.”
Computer-based breeding
Equinom creates superior seeds naturally by crossbreeding exotic, ancient and modern varieties. Utilising its abundant seed bank, Equinom employs computer-based breeding and traditional genomic technologies to predict and simulate new varieties. This matchmaking process speeds up and perfects the breeding.
Rick Mignella, EVP & Managing Director, North America at Equinom says: “Our aim is to drive the global creation of truly healthy, appealing and sustainable non-GMO foods which are affordable to the masses. We are always happy to partner with passionate companies who are doing their bit to help future-proof the planet through plant-based innovations. We are confident that we’ll soon enable GoodMills to serve the market with a novel Yellow Pea-based ingredient that will make sustainable and delicious plant-based food more widely accessible.”
Yellow Pea variant
Once the tailored Yellow Pea variant has been developed, different subsidiaries of the GoodMills Group will profit from it: GoodMills Innovation, leading supplier of plant-based texturates based on wheat and legumes, will use it to expand its portfolio of texturates. Müller’s Mühle, one of Europe’s largest suppliers of dried legumes and leader in legumes refinement, will extend its portfolio of legume flours that are ideal as a base for meat, pasta and dairy replacements, and for use as a high-protein ingredient in drinks, snacks, breakfast cereals, baked goods and pasta.
[1] https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/pea-protein-market-36916504.html
Nutriswiss technology enables gentle refinement of vegetable oils to comply with contaminant limits
, /in E-News /by panglobalAs a result of EU Regulation 2020/1322, new maximum levels for 3-MCPD and glycidol in olive oil and other vegetable oils have been in force since January 2021. Nutriswiss can minimise the presence of these process-related contaminants with the help of a special refining technology.
The Swiss speciality and organic edible oils expert uses a particularly gentle process that refines oils at low temperatures. In this way, oil producers can not only optimise the sensory profile of their products and increase their yield, but also meet the new legal requirements.
New regulations
On 1 January 2021, the European Commission Regulation set limits of 1250 μg of 3-MCPD and 1000 μg of glycidol per kg of edible oil. Even stricter regulations apply to infant and children’s food (15 μg/kg of 3-MCPD and 6.0 μg/kg of glycidol for liquid infant formula).
With a particular focus on refined olive oil, in which high process contaminant values are often seen, Nutriswiss subsequently set new standards for a wide range of products. After refining, laboratory analyses now show values that are close to the detection limit for both process contaminants and far below legal limits.
Nutriswiss can also refine heavily contaminated oils or those with a high acid value, such as olive pomace or lampante oils, using special processes, so that an organoleptically acceptable, edible and safe food is produced. The olive oil raffinate can then be mixed with virgin olive oils, for example, and marketed as a blend or supplied to the food industry for further processing. Oils that are difficult to refine and would otherwise be unmarketable now benefit from a new lease of life.
Distillation technology
Unlike traditional vegetable oil refining, Nutriswiss doesn’t use time-consuming or high-temperature processes to remove pesticides and mineral oil residues (MOSH/MOAH). Heat promotes the formation of potentially harmful glycidyl fatty acid esters and chlorine-fatty acid esters such as 3-MCPD. Instead, the company relies on physical neutralisation using modern distillation technology and subsequent mild deodorisation. In this way, no process contaminants are formed. At the same time, valuable ingredients are protected, off-flavours are removed and pesticides, MOSH/MOAH, polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAH) and plasticisers such as DEHP are significantly reduced.
Michel Burla, Managing Director of Nutriswiss, said: “Manufacturers of vegetable oils face increasingly stringent legal requirements, such as stricter limits for pollutants. With our state-of-the-art technologies, we can comprehensively meet their needs and support our customers. This applies not only to olive oil, but to a wide range of vegetable and animal oils, such as rapeseed, linseed, fish, algae or hemp oil.”
Tetra Pak selected as one of the Top 50 Sustainability and Climate leaders
Sustainability, /in E-News /by panglobalAdolfo Orive, President & CEO, Tetra Pak
Tetra Pak – the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company – has been recognised as one of the world’s “50 Sustainability and Climate Leaders” – a docu-series project developed by the international business community to encourage businesses to take effective action in the fight against climate change.
Adolfo Orive, President & CEO at Tetra Pak, said: “Our company was founded on the philosophy that a package should save more than it costs. Sustainability has always been at the core of everything we do, as such it is also a fundamental building block of our 2030 strategy, so we are proud to receive industry recognition for our work to date.
“We are the world’s leading food processing and packaging supplier and provide food safely to billions of people in more than 160 countries.
“We have already taken great strides on our journey to pioneer a sustainable future. However, with the current climate crisis and the potential food security challenges, we believe that the food packaging industry needs a major step change in its evolution. Our ambition is to deliver the world’s most sustainable food package. This means creating cartons that are fully made from renewable or recycled materials, are fully recyclable and carbon neutral. We see this as the only way to protect what’s good – food, people and the planet.”
Watch the documentary showcasing their journey.
The video features interviews with members of Tetra Pak’s Global Leadership Team, highlighting how the role of food sector in tackling climate change is becoming even more imperative. They explain why accelerating de-carbonisation and collaborations is critical to lead the sustainability transformation of the food packaging industry – addressing complex and multi-faceted challenges such as global warming, circularity and biodiversity.
Food overlooked in climate change
Food is a critical but often overlooked element of climate change. The global food system accounts for 26% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [1], while 8% of total emissions are caused by food waste [2]. In other words, if food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third largest producer of emissions. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of the world’s food system, which will only be further amplified by the expected growth of the world population to 9.1 billion by 2050 [3].
Feeding the world
High-performance food packaging plays a critical role in feeding the world, but it must do so sustainably, so that food availability does not come at the cost of the planet. This lies behind Tetra Pak’s purpose: To commit to making food safe and available, everywhere, in a way that protects what’s good – protecting food, protecting people as well as protecting the planet. To minimise climate impact while helping to ensure food security for the future, the company takes a full life cycle view of its solutions. Always working collaboratively. This means:
References
Bühler and Hosokawa Alpine to collaborate on sustainable proteins
, /in E-News /by panglobalJohannes Wick, CEO Grains & Food at Bühler, and Dr. Antonio Fernández, chairman of the executive board at Hosokawa Alpine, at the signing of the collaboration agreement.
Swiss Bühler Group and Hosokawa Alpine Group from Germany have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to accelerate and strengthen the production of healthier and sustainable plant protein solutions. Together, the companies will provide customers with the most efficient value chain for pulses being processed into protein ingredients.
As the leading solution provider in pulses processing, Bühler offers solutions for the intake, cleaning, dehulling and grinding of pulses, and further food processing with its extrusion technology, which texturizes plant-based proteins into products with fibrous texture similar to meat. Hosokawa Alpine complements the production process by adding its leading technology for the dry separation of pulses’ protein: fine grinding and air classification. The combination of Bühler’s upstream pulses process and Hosokawa’s process for size reduction and classification produces the highest yields of high value protein concentrates. Ultimately, with this partnership the companies will be able to offer customers process technology and expertise along the complete field-to-fork pulses protein chain.
“Hosokawa Alpine will be our preferred partner for integrated solutions for our customers that are processing sustainable proteins. Thanks to their vast expertise in protein extraction, we can now cover the entire value chain for plant-based protein – from any kind of pulses to dry extrudates ready for consumption,” said Johannes Wick, CEO Bühler Grains & Food.
This statement is echoed by Dr. Antonio Fernández, chairman of the executive board at Hosokawa Alpine: “By working with Bühler, we can fully realize the potential of the value chain. With our combined technologies, we meet the market requirements in the best possible way and drive developments in the process chain forward.”
Seamless customer experience
The strategic partnership will strengthen the innovation and development capacities of both companies. The market for sustainable proteins has been growing significantly over the last years, fuelled by consumers demanding more sustainable proteins.
“With this cooperation, we can address customer needs from the harvest to the final product. We operate in an integrated and collaborative way to ensure a seamless experience for our customers. This starts with our application centres in Uzwil Switzerland, and the brand-new Food Application Center in Minneapolis, US, created to develop new methods of transforming pulses and grains into tasty new food solutions. They are complemented by Hosokawa Alpine’s facilities in Augsburg, Germany, all of them being available for customer trials. Our collaboration goes through to commissioning and services ensuring high-quality outputs for our customers,” said Andreas Risch, Head of Special Grains & Pulses at Bühler.
Besides this latest collaboration agreement, Bühler and Hosokawa Alpine have been working together on different projects and industries since the 1980s. This led the two partners to the conclusion that their strong customer focus and innovation power make for a strong fit for the sustainable protein sector.
Apart from this cooperation agreement, both companies will continue to market their solutions independently through their own existing distribution channels.
The power of pulses
Peas, lentils, chickpeas, and many other dry beans are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, which makes them an excellent meat substitute. Pulses sit at the top of the list when it comes to providing a growing world population with plant protein. Their cultivation is more resource efficient than most animal protein sources, with a positive impact on sustainability.