Page 36 - Food & Drink Magazine April 2021

PLANT-BASED SECTOR
The global opportunity
Australian Plant Proteins opened its first commercial plant protein fraction facility in October 2020 and is already expanding. Co-founder and director Brendan McKeegan writes.
WITH the opening of the first commercial plant protein fraction facility in October 2020 in Horsham, Victoria, local company Australian Plant Proteins (APP) is forging a path to positioning Australia as a key player in the global supply of plant-based proteins.
APP’s facility extracts protein isolates (greater than 85 per cent protein content) from Australian grown pulses using a patent-pending process developed by their in-house team. This extraction process produces a highly functional protein powder with neutral taste and odour and great solubility, making it suitable for a range of food and beverage applications.
APP’s extraction process does not use solvents or enzymes. This ensures the proteins remain intact and are not denatured from their original form. This clean form of protein ingredient has a significant impact on the consistency and functionality of the proteins when they are incorporated in a variety of products including meat and dairy alternatives, baked goods, protein bars and
shakes and a range of condiments and sauces.
Customer reaction, both locally and internationally, to APP’s plant protein products has been overwhelming. The clean tasting protein isolates are being used across a range of product categories as replacement for existing protein sources and as key ingredients in the development of new plant-based products. The isolates are also being used to replace egg whites and other synthetic binding compounds, which is a testament to their functional qualities.
Not only do APP’s products taste great, they are also good for the environment. Pulse crops rely on natural rainfall to grow making them one of the most efficient sources of protein. They also extract nitrogen from the environment and inject it into the soil via their root system to reduce the reliance on synthetic fertilisers. This environmental impact along with the efficient manufacturing footprint and the premium quality of pulses produced in Australia means APP’s protein products are in
Protein punch:
Faba beans have a neutral taste and are 90 per cent protein.
high demand both locally and internationally.
To meet the growing demand for APP’s products, the company has just announced the expansion of their Horsham facility after only five months of operation. The company has commenced building a second production line which will double the site’s capacity. In addition, APP is in the process of identifying a larger site to meet future growth opportunities.
This capacity increase will provide further opportunities for Australian farmers to supply raw materials to APP’s facility and reduce the reliance on commodity markets as the single point of distribution for pulse crops. Australia grows in excess of 2.5 million tonnes of pulses annually making it one of the largest global producers and exporters. The opportunity to redirect a portion of the
pulse crops a commodity product to a value-add ingredient is a key element in developing diversified supply chains for farmers to reduce the impact of trade barriers such as import tariffs.
Australian Plant Proteins, with its innovative manufacturing process and access to an abundance of high quality raw materials, is well positioned to take full advantage of the global grow in plant-based protein consumption. ✷
✷ ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brendan McKeegan is
one of three co-founders
of EAT Group, the parent
company of Australian
Plant Proteins. He
specialises in building
international markets for Australian companies with experience in brand building, marketing and distribution.
36 | Food&Drink business | April 2021 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au