Herba Ingredients has opened a state-of-the-art production line for protein and starch concentrates. With this latest production line, the company increases its production capacity for its pea and faba bean concentrates and also expands on its pulse flours portfolio. Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Arjan Geerlings, Business Development Manager, says the investment of €10 million (US$11.3 million) responds to the trend for plant-based and gluten-free ingredients.

Herba is the allergen-free ingredients division of the Ebro Group, a global food manufacturer in the rice and pasta industry. Located in Belgium, Herba Ingredients supplies all types of plant-based protein and starch ingredients. 

The company recently opened a new factory specializing in pulse ingredients. The initial opening of the factory was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now fully operational, working with skeleton staff. The production line for protein and starch concentrates increases the company’s plant-based portfolio, offering a range from different powder solutions, precooked and deodorized solutions and textured ingredients.

With this new set-up of pulse production lines, the company is one of the few pulse ingredient companies that controls the complete supply chain, from the field to high-value ingredients. “The factory is in Belgium, the heart of Europe, which is why we built it there. We also have other facilities wher we mill rice and rice flours in Belgium,” Geerlings explains.  

Gluten-free: A burgeoning sector
Herba’s decision to step into the business of plant-proteins coincides with the surging market trend for plant-derived ingredients. As well as this, plant proteins are gluten-free, another promising industry trend, Geerlings notes. 

“Consumers are more and more interested in plant-based proteins and products. It also fits in well with our rice products and ingredients and our factories are all gluten-free. We are used to working with gluten-free ingredients. It’s also the case with pulses,” he explains. 
Herba is producing yellow pea protein and yellow pea starch concentrate and faba protein and starch concentrate, as well as a pea fiber that comes from the same factory. “We have invested in these products because we see a market trend for plant-based proteins. We sell these concentrates as native proteins and native starch. We also transform them further into textured protein and cooked versions of these proteins,” notes Geerlings. 

“Pea is one of the cheapest pulses,” he continues. “Pulses, in general, are high in protein and have an interesting amino acid profile with amino acids present. It’s a sustainable, environmentally-friendly product as well.”

“We are transforming the protein into a textured pea and faba bean protein that is being used as a meat replacer to develop products such as vegan or meat-free sausages, burgers or meatballs. That is a key trend right now; consumers are trying to eat less meat. Textured protein is becoming available that is of higher quality and we are tapping into this,” Geerlings says. 

That is one of the reasons why the company is seeking further growth. “There are, of course, other companies producing textured protein, but we will be one of the first to control the whole value chain from the protein production to the textured protein production. That is another advantage on our side,” he notes. “This comes from our experience in the rice industry. We grow our rice and produce that into clean rice ingredients. That is also the example in the case of pulses, wherby we can control the whole value chain,” he adds. 

The plant-based protein area is one that Geerlings expects to continue. More plant-based food products will become available on the market, he predicts. “Companies like us are investing in these technologies to make better ingredients for the food industry and techniques to improve the taste, solubility and make new applications available, such as plant-based beverages. In the past, these have been challenging because of taste and solubility,” he details. 

When asked specifically about hybrid products or plant-based products that replicate seafood, Geerlings highlights the challenges. “Most fish is white, so getting a nice white analog is already a challenge. It’s all about taste, texture and color; there is always room for improvement,” he affirms. 

Moreover, Herba has made several applications and recipes that replac meat. The company is also tapping into hybrid meatballs and chicken nuggets, which are made with its textured pea protein. “We are working on more developments in the alternative seafood space in the coming months,” concludes Geerlings.