Canadian plant-based food manufacturer Merit Functional Foods has launched its new ingredient, Organic Peazazz C850, claiming it will give brands the flexibility to equip products with a variety of sustainable, nutritional and plant-based options. 

Organic Peazazz C850 is Merit’s first USDA certified organic protein ingredient and can be traced back to its Canadian farm origins. 

It provides plant-based food and beverage formulators with crucial functional and nutritional benefits, including solubility, viscosity, texture improvement and low sodium, with a minimum of 85% protein. 

Organic Peazazz C 850 also undergoes a proprietary membrane filtration process which Merit says boosts the flavor, texture and nutrition. It is designed for ready-to-drink beverages, protein bars, ready-to-mix protein powder and dairy alternatives.

The Canadian manufacturer hopes the ingredient will appeal to brands seeking the plant-based market. Certified organic
Merit Co-CEO Ryan Bracken stresses the difficulty of the organic protein space.  

“Organic protein is undoubtedly more laborious, as it requires stricter growing processes, stringent regulations, and filtration processes to get it right,” he says. 

“For that reason, certified organic options are scarce in the market with limited availability. But because of the consumer demand for alternative protein sources, we have worked to make organic pea protein scalable, accessible, and the highest quality to meet this growing market.”

“Many consumers link organic ingredients and sustainability, and both are important to the future of the protein space,” explains Bracken. 

“All of Merit’s ingredients are grown and produced on the Western Canadian prairies, which means better sustainability through a reduction in food miles traveled from field to table.”

Merit’s Organic Peazazz C850 is USDA certified organic by Ecocert, meaning brands using it can rely on a trusted source of organic pea protein.

Bracken underlines the sustainability model employed by Merit.

“A huge part of our commitment is not to just produce better performing plant protein ingredients, but also ones that are better for the planet,” Bracken says. “Our pea protein is just one way we’re doing that.”

Merit’s organic certification may draw in consumers who are becoming increasingly discerning toward products, often seeking some form of sustainability or health benefits on product labeling.

Nonetheless, as the plant-based category matures, manufacturers are shifting their focus to producing higher-quality meat and dairy “complements,” as brands become more interested in capturing the flexitarian market via improved taste and texture offerings.