German rice four supplier Müller’s Mühle has announced a $17.6m (€14.5m) investment on a new refining technology for its legume flours.

The investment in the modern air separation plant will enable the company to produce functional flours with up to 65% protein content.

Müller’s Mühle said that its flours, which are sold under the ‘SMART Pulses Pro’ brand, are suitable as a basis for plant-based alternatives such as meat, egg and milk substitutes, as well as for snacks, baked goods and pasta.

The company claimed that all its flour products are produced using various legume species as raw materials and processes them gently to retain their nutrient content.

In addition to protein, Müller’s Mühle legume flours provide dietary fibre and minerals, B vitamins and trace elements.

Müller’s Mühle managing director Uwe Walter said: “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.

“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.”

Headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Müller’s Mühle is a part of the GoodMills Deutschland group and also the largest rice refiner in Europe.

The company is engaged in the production of special pulses and rice-based flours for numerous sectors of the food industry, as well as for the catering, gastronomy and hotel sectors.