EDMONTON, Alberta, March 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Protein Industries Canada announced an investment into a project that will lead to the development of new, high-protein pulse-based ingredients for the non-dairy beverage market.
GrainFrac Inc., Tomtene Seed Farm and Ripple Foods PBC are partnering to develop and utilize specialized dry processing technology patented by GrainFrac. This technology will process pulses chosen and supplied by Tomtene Seed Farm into fine flours, whose starches and proteins will then be separated in order to extract as much protein as possible into concentrates and isolates. Ripple Foods plans to test these ingredients in 36 new beverage formulations, in response to the rising demand for plant-based dairy-alternative beverages.
“This is a great example of how Canadian innovators are harnessing clean technologies to produce high-quality, protein-based dairy-alternative products to meet growing demand. The efforts of the Protein Industries Canada supercluster help ensure that Canadians have access to plant-based options that use crops from Canadian farmers and cost-effective processing technologies,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
“Canada’s food processing sector is an economic powerhouse and continues to adapt to changes in consumer preferences. This multinational partnership will use a Canadian innovation and pulses to bring new beverages to market across North America. Made possible through the Protein Industries Canada supercluster, this is exactly the type of project the Government is proud to stand behind, showcasing Canadian ingenuity and high-quality Canadian agriculture and value-added manufacturing. As demand for beverages that incorporate plant-based protein grows, our pulse producers and food processors stand ready to fill the world’s needs,” said The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Initial testing showed pea flour processed using the technology had a protein content almost nine per cent higher than that processed using a pin-milled method. The ingredients shown to have the highest protein content will be used in Ripple Foods’ formulations, as well as marketed to other processors and manufacturers outside of the partnership following the completion of the project.
“Consumers around the globe are looking for new alternatives to dairy beverages, and their demand for those products is rising quickly,” Protein industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel said. “GrainFrac, Tomtene Seed Farm and Ripple Foods will soon be providing them with new options, both here in Canada and in some of the world’s largest plant-based food markets, including the United States. And by utilizing Canadian-grown crops in their work, they’ll bring us closer to our goal of Canada becoming a global leader in plant based ingredients and food.”
The investment is expected to help both introduce new products to the market as well as scale up GrainFrac’s processing technology. This scale-up will help GrainFrac quantify the environmental benefits associated with the technology’s dry processing capabilities, including its reduction in water use.
Together, Protein Industries Canada, GrainFrac, Tomtene Seed Farm and Ripple Foods are investing $4.3 million into the project. Protein Industries Canada is committing half of the investment, with GrainFrac, Tomtene Seed Farms and Ripple Foods joining to commit the remaining half.
“The GrainFrac team is thrilled to be collaborating with Protein Industries Canada, Tomtene Seed Farm and Ripple Foods to create more plant protein production capacity in Canada,” GrainFrac President Brad Shapka said. “The Protein Industries Canada co-investment is essential to our development of capacity to meet growing demand using our novel patented technology to lower the cost and energy requirements to produce plant protein ingredients. Our goal is to become the premier Canadian supplier of a variety of plant protein ingredients based on our more sustainable cost-effective production capacity and strong demand driven strategic partnerships.”
“We at Tomtene Seed Farm are extremely excited to be working with Proteins Industries Canada, GrainFrac and Ripple Foods to help develop this more effective technology of producing plant-based proteins,” Tomtene Seed Farm Owner Steve Tomtene said. “Our hope is that we can provide a seamless collaboration of skills and capacity to produce the most efficient, highest quality plant-based protein concentrates and isolates for the growing demand of specialized ingredients and plant-based proteins.”
“Ripple Foods is delighted to be a part of this historic partnership with GrainFrac, Tomtene Seed Farm, and Protein Industries Canada” Ripple Foods Research and Development Lead Celia Homyak said. “We have been testing plant proteins in plant-based products for the past five years and looking forward to combining our expertise in plant-based products with that of Tomtene Seed Farm and GrainFrac for better vertical integration in addition to utilizing advanced protein processing technologies. Additionally, we are honored to be in collaboration with Protein Industries Canada, who has been at the fore front of plant protein technology.”
This marks Protein Industries Canada’s 16th Technology project announcement. Together with industry, they’ve invested more than $320 million into Canada’s plant-protein sector. They are currently accepting Expressions of Interest for both their Technology and Capacity Building programs.
For more information:
Miranda Burski
Protein Industries Canada
Regina, SK
306-581-1340
miranda@proteinsupercluster.ca
About GrainFrac
GrainFrac was founded in 2014 for the purpose of improving human health by using their proprietary grain fractionating technology to make affordable dietary fibre available to food and beverage manufacturers. Their functional fibre products sell in over 20 countries in multiple applications that provide health benefits ranging from cholesterol reduction to glycemic regulation. Their vision is to expand the application of their technologies to enable all natural, cost effective and sustainable methods for converting grains and pulses grown in western Canada into functional fibre and protein ingredients for domestic and global markets. Learn more at www.grainfrac.com.
About Tomtene Seed Farm
Established in 1967, Tomtene Family Farm has focused on the production and primary processing of cereal grains, oilseeds and pulse grain production. They are located along the South Saskatchewan river in the Black soil zone in a community called Birch Hills, Saskatchewan. Their family has taken great pride in the development and commercialization of many new varieties and crop kinds for the growing needs of the food/nutraceutical industry. Their business started with humble beginnings and has grown for over 50 years with strong principles and values focused on meeting evolving customer needs. Learn more at www.tomteneseeds.ca.
About Ripple Foods
Founded in 2015, Ripple Foods is a leader in developing innovative and delicious dairy-free products. Using protein from yellow peas, Ripple Foods creates creamy and protein-filled products like plant-based milk, protein shakes, half & half, and frozen desserts. Ripple delivers “Dairy Free Done Right,” meaning there’s no compromise on taste or nutrition. It’s what dairy-free milk should be — great tasting, nourishing to your body while leaving a small footprint on the planet. Sustainably produced and using significantly less water than dairy and other dairy alternatives, Ripple is built on the truth that even the smallest actions can have far-reaching impacts. Ripple’s delicious plant-based foods can be found in more than 20,000 groceries stores in the United States and Canada. Learn more about Ripple Foods at: www.ripplefoods.com.