While traditional proteins such as soy continue to dominate the plant-based food market, the sector is looking to diversify with new alternatives such as chickpea and pea proteins. This week, leading North American suppliers InnovoPro, Ingredion and PURIS all announced new developments in this fast-growing field.
“We idealize delicious, clean-label plant-based options”
Chickpea specialist Innovopro and global ingredients provider Ingredion have announced that they will showcase their latest innovations in chickpea protein in the upcoming IFT first Trade show in Chicago.
At booth S1767, Innovopro will showcase the “world’s first” chickpea-based textured vegetable protein, CP-XTURA65, along with a completely plant-based Mexican menu. Visitors will be treated to traditional tacos made with chickpea-based ground chorizo and chicken, smoky chipotle, and traditional crema sauces made with InovoPro’s dairy-free and egg-white replacement solutions, such as CP-Pro70.
“We make delicious, clean-label plant-based alternatives the norm,” said Michael Kreutzer, InovoPro’s Chief Commercial Officer, Americas. “We are excited to showcase our high-performance chickpea protein platform, providing our customers with the ability to remove unwanted ingredients and achieve outstanding texture and nutritional profile.”
Next generation protein blend
Ingredion, who joined as InnovoPro’s exclusive distribution partner in 2022, will also be at the show to promote the many benefits of “next-gen” plant proteins. At booth S1129, the company will sample several beverage, snack and sauce prototypes featuring chickpea and pea-based protein blends as it works to expand the availability of chickpea protein across North America.
“Our distribution partnership with InovoPro allows us to provide food and beverage manufacturers with chickpea-based protein solutions to meet consumer protein needs and meet manufacturer cost-of-use and performance requirements,” said Dan Kennedy, Ingredient’s US and Canada business development. And Platform manager for plant-based proteins.
IFT First takes place July 16-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
Propelling pea protein
Also this week, PURIS, North America’s leading supplier of pea protein, announced that it has entered into a strategic distribution partnership with Palmer Holland to take PURIS’ pea ingredient portfolio to “new heights.” Palmer Holland will by contract PURIS provides distribution, marketing and sales operations for pea protein, pea fiber and upcycled pea starch.
According to the companies, their leadership and synergy will form the foundation to accelerate PURIS’ growth and bring clean-label pea protein to more consumers than ever before.
“Our partnership with Palmer Holland represents an important moment in PURIS’ growth journey,” said Tyler Lorenzen, CEO of PURIS. “Palmer Holland’s distribution network and industry knowledge will significantly enhance our ability to reach more customers. By joining forces, we aim to inspire positive change in the food industry by making clean, sustainable and delicious plant-based choices accessible to more consumers across North America.”