IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients and Royal Avebe have signed a long-term exclusive partnership agreement to offer a premium potato solution to the pet food market. The new ingredient ProtaSTAR, developed and produced by Avebe, is a high-quality, nutritional and healthy alternative protein for vegan and grain-free pet food.

This exclusive collaboration enables IQI to meet the growing trend and worldwide demand for alternative pet food proteins by using nutritional potato protein.

Potato deemed a nutritional powerhouse

Royal Avebe is a Dutch company that has been active in the food industry for over 100 years, including developing potato-based ingredients. Potatoes are a traditional food for human consumption, but they also perfectly serve as a nutritional, versatile and sustainable protein source for pet food applications. 

The potato’s typical high starch and protein content sets the vegetable apart as a nutritional and functional pet food ingredient. Potatoes are also naturally rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, a series of B group vitamins, potassium, iron, magnesium and phytonutrients.

Patented process for ProtaSTAR

To further enhance the potato’s inherent nutritional profile, Avebe developed a patented process with extra steps for purification and refining. 

The resulting product, ProtaSTAR, is characterized by an extremely low ash content, outperforming most other concentrated plant protein sources, such as soybean meal, pea, and corn, in terms of digestibility. 

The process also leads to a relatively high protein efficiency ratio (PER). Research shows that ProtaSTARs digestibility and protein quality match those of traditional animal-based ingredients, such as beef, pork, chicken breast and salmon.

High protein content, digestibility & palatability

ProtaSTAR is valued for its high protein content of 80% and complete amino acid profile, which serve as a cornerstone for creating nutritionally balanced vegetarian pet food cats and dogs healthy and active. 

ProtaSTAR has 88% ileal digestibility and ten times lower total glycoalkaloid (TGA) content compared to regular potato protein. 

The reduced TGA content gives ProtaSTAR a neutral taste with good palatability.

Tapping sustainability

Avebe is known for its sustainability and healthy farming practices, which make it a natural fit with IQI. Both Avebe and IQI focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8 (Decent work and economic growth) and 12 (Responsible consumption and production). 

Avebe develops its own potato varieties, targeting higher yields and disease resistance, and has full control over the supply chain: from sourcing locally from Dutch and German farmers to processing in its own factories. This results in a trusted plant-based protein resource with a much lower carbon footprint than animal protein sources.

The partnership between IQI and Avebe now makes ProtaSTAR available to all of its customers in Europe.