Food tech start-up ChickP Protein has unveiled its next-generation native starch developed from chickpea. Due to its narrow granules size distribution compared to pea and potato starches, ChickP Native Starch provides better gelling and thickening properties.

As a result, it can be used as a thickening or binding agent in a variety of food applications, including soups, sauces, confectionery, dairy, baked goods, desserts, meat and plant-based meat analogs. 

It is non-GMO and a co-product of ChickP protein process using proprietary technology.

The new native chickpea starch eliminates food waste during processing and ensures a sustainable, clean ingredient, notes the company. 

It also has a high amylose to amylopectin ratio, with a neutral taste and no aroma.

Plant-based applications
ChickP Native Starch also is a good raw material for production of extruded snack products and can be deployed as an anti-caking agent for powdered blends, such as instant soups, spices, and premixes.

This launch follows last year’s introduction of a line of chickpea isolates specifically designed for plant-based dairy alternative products. 

According to Innova Market Insights, the use of specifically identified starches in F&B launches has increased globally, featuring a 7 percent year-over-year growth when comparing 2019 and 2018 launches. 

In 2019, the top category of global product launches tracked with starches was Bakery (27 percent), with corn starch being the leading ingredient among the starches tracked. 

The top positionings of global product launches tracked with starches in 2019 were “No Additives/Preservatives (17 percent),” “Gluten-Free (15 percent)” and “Vegetarian (9 percent).”

“The inspiration for developing a native chickpea starch was to offer another purified fraction from chickpea – similar to ChickP’s isolated protein, which contains 90 percent protein,” explains Ram Reifen, MD, founder and CSO of ChickP. “We’ve extended the purity approach by introducing our pure native chickpea starch, with more than 98 percent starch content.”

Future potential for expansion
The start-up’s cutting-edge ability to separate and purify the solid components of the chickpea (protein, starch and fibers) allows it to offer food manufacturers pure and functional ingredients that bring significant flexibility to incorporate other ingredients into the formula based on targeted nutritional and functional properties. 

This can be accomplished without compromise due to existing impurities, such as oil (which leads to rapid oxidation and decreased shelf life), fibers (that can impart rough textures in some food applications), and other micronutrients that negatively impact flavor and color.

“The ChickP technical team is currently developing food applications using our Native chickpea starch,” adds Ron Klein, CEO of ChickP. “We invite companies to collaborate with us to create new plant-based products that meet all the demands of today’s informed consumers.”