Last year, Norkem signed a preferred deal for ProteVin. This vegan alternative to whey-derived protein ingredients has already been picked up by five food and drink companies in the US and Europe for the development of new dairy-free ranges.
Production at the Kothari facility near New Delhi is due to start by the end of 2023.
While the market for non-dairy alternatives to whey protein has boomed in recent years, most of the products currently available are plant-based - typically manufactured from pea, soy, hemp or rice.
While representing a viable vegan alternative to whey proteins, these plant-derived products have a couple of drawbacks. One is that they lack the essential amino acids found in animal proteins and therefore cannot match the nutritional profile of whey powder. The other is that most plant proteins have non-neutral flavour profiles, which complicates matters when it comes to developing recipes.
ProteVin is different. Produced by extracting protein from ordinary baker’s yeast via fermentation, it counters the two big drawbacks of plant-derived proteins. The final product is completely flavourless and colourless and it matches the nutritional profile of whey proteins.
Boaz Noy, Chief Executive Officer of NextFerm, said: “The production setup that will be established in India will allow us to meet the growing demand for ProteVin, with a lower investment than planned with the ability to increase future capacity. ProteVin™ is the only alternative protein on the market today with a neutral taste and an animal-like nutritional value, and we believe it will become a leading solution in the global alternative protein industry.”
In addition, Kothari will also take up production of Yeast Extract, a by-product of the ProteVin production process, which NextFerm has developed as vegan flavour additive.
To date, ProteVin has been picked up by some brands offering vegan protein powders in the sports and health nutrition market. It is a natural fit for providing a vegan substitute for protein-enriched foods and drinks across a broad range of categories and for enhancing the nutritional profile of vegan and plant-based alternatives to dairy produce.
For details on sourcing ProteVin in the UK and Ireland, please contact the Norkem food and drinks sales team.