Merit Functional Foods, a Canadian company that produces plant-based protein ingredients, recently launched its first USDA Certified Organic pea protein, Organic Peazazz C™ 850. The company claims its new pea protein is the most transparent and sustainable ingredient available to F&B manufacturers to date.
We have worked to make organic pea protein scalable
Organic Peazazz is intended for use in various applications, including ready-to-drink (RTD) and ready-to-mix (RTM) protein drinks, dairy alternatives, protein bars, and other food products.
Ryan Bracken, Merit’s co-CEO, commented on the recent launch: “Organic protein is undoubtedly more laborious, as it requires stricter growing processes, stringent regulations, and unique filtration processes to get it right. For that reason, certified organic options are scarce in the market with limited availability. We have worked to make organic pea protein scalable, accessible, and the highest quality to meet this growing market.”
A pea protein with unlocked taste and nutrition
Merit’s Organic Peazazz is the latest addition to the company’s wide range of food ingredients. According to the company, this new product — organic certified by Ecocert — has superior quality and purity than other pea isolates due to Merit’s proprietary membrane filtration technology that unlocks peas’ taste, texture, and nutrition.
This new isolate is made from high-quality organic peas grown on Canadian soil and processed at Merit’s Winnipeg-based facility. The product offers key functional and nutritional benefits, including solubility, viscosity, texture improvement, low sodium, and a minimum of 85% protein, explains Merit. Among other features, the non-GMO protein has a neutral taste, is gluten-free, vegan, and is also high in essential amino acids.
Sustainable plant-based ingredients
Merit Functional Foods was founded in 2019 to provide high-quality, sustainable protein ingredients to the food and beverage industry. Its products include pea, faba, and canola proteins made from non-GMO Canadian-grown crops to contribute to the sustainability movement in the food industry.
In addition to its plant-based proteins, the company offers different food industry solutions. In August, Merit announced the successful development of a 100% protein-based clean-label solution to replace methylcellulose, a synthetic binder widely used in food and meat alternatives.
“Many consumers link organic ingredients and sustainability, and both are important to the future of the protein space.
“A huge part of our commitment and reason for existence is not to produce better performing plant protein ingredients, but also ones that are better for the planet. Our certified organic pea protein is just one way we do that,” Bracken added.