Merit Functional Foods and its technology partner Burcon NutraScience has announced a partnership with Nestlé. The goal of the joint development agreement is to develop and commercialize Merit’s novel plant protein ingredients for use in Nestlé’s plant-based foods and beverages.
This long-term agreement among the parties has commenced while Merit is building its commercial-scale production facility, which is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2020. Merit’s state-of-the-art facility will produce various plant-based protein ingredients using Burcon’s proprietary and patented extraction and purification technology. Burcon has been developing its plant-based protein technology for more than 19 years.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Nestlé to optimize these already exciting novel plant proteins,” Burcon’s President and CEO Johann F. Tergesen said. “This collaboration among Burcon, Nestlé, and Merit is about strategically innovating for the future.”
Based in Winnipeg, Canada, Merit Functional Foods was established in 2019. It is committed to exceeding expectations for plant-based protein, providing the market with the highest quality protein ingredients and blends that offer unmatched purity, exceptional taste, and excellent solubility. It will produce a nutrient-rich portfolio of pea and canola protein ingredients in its new production facility in Manitoba.
“Partnering with Nestlé – a global leader in food and nutrition – is a great milestone for Merit Functional Foods,” Merit Co-CEO Ryan Bracken said. “Merit has already demonstrated the impact of our novel proteins in plant-based foods. This new partnership helps build on this, and it’s a major step in developing the next generation of nutritious and delicious plant-based products that draw on the benefits of our novel proteins.”