German ingredient specialist KaTech Ingredient Solutions announces that it has opened its centre of excellence for meat and fish alternatives. Due to growing demand from food manufacturers for new product developments, KaTech is investing in the development of an advanced plant-based portfolio.
Acquired by Ingredion to re-shape food industry
In spring 2021, KaTech was acquired by global ingredients manufacturer Ingredion as part of the company’s next step in capitalizing on the plant-based trend that is continuously re-shaping the food industry. With a special focus on pea protein, Ingredion became the first US manufacturer to produce pea protein isolate, boosting protein content of a range of products.
Founded in 2010, KaTech has been successfully developing plant-based substitutes for the food industry. In line with Ingredion’s philosophy, which describes the plant-based market as a new era, KaTech expects the plant-based market to grow significantly in the future.
To further expand its plant-based portfolio, KaTech has decided to invest in its existing pilot plant in Germany by acquiring a new machinery. Being particularly relevant for the production of meat and fish alternatives, the investment in its pilot plant supports the company’s strategy to keep its focus on plant-based products in the future.
“So far, the equipment in our technical centre has been extensively used to provide our customers with the right product developments. However, with an ever-increasing demand for plant-based product development and a market that is expected to grow further in the future, it was time to invest. We are pleased that this investment will enable us to support our customers even better in the production of plant-based textural ingredient solutions for their individual alternative meat and fish products at a high quality that they can bring quickly and effectively to market”, says Alexander Maeße, Head of Technical at KaTech.
