Bunge faba beans

© Bunge

Ingredients

5 Companies Producing the Protein Isolates Behind the New Fava Bean-Based Alternatives

Today, we look into five companies creating protein isolates from fava beans for plant-based alternatives and other foods. Pulses are increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of plant-based diets and fava beans are said to be highly nutritious, containing 18-35% protein, including lysine, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and high levels of folate. This year, scientists from the University of Helsinki discovered the ideal fava bean blend for producing delicious plant-based meat. The plant Vicia faba and its beans are praised for their health benefits and environmental sustainability. The crops naturally fixate nitrogen in the soil, eliminating the need for nitrogen fertilizers, and making them an ideal rotational crop. The plants are also more tolerant of temporary flooding than lentils or peas. The following companies have invested …

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Lars-Gunnar Edh. © Lantmännen

Protein

PAN Sweden & Lantmännen Receive €3.54M to Make Sweden a Leader in Sustainable Plant-Based Proteins

Research centre PAN Sweden has received SEK 40 million (€3.54 million) in funding from the Swedish government research council Formas, allowing it to continue its work on plant-based proteins. PAN Sweden is coordinated by Örebro University and studies how plant-based protein sources can be processed into tasty and nutritious products. The centre aims to make Sweden a world leader in sustainably produced plant-based protein foods. Agricultural cooperative Lantmännen is one of the key actors involved in PAN Sweden, and contributes its extensive knowledge of plant-based proteins. The new grant from Formas will allow the centre to continue its research for another four years. “It is important to have a high level of commitment among companies and the public sector in order to be able to …

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Employees breaking the ground of the new faba and pea facility

© Lantmännen

Investments & Acquisitions

Swedish Cooperative Lantmännen Invests SEK 1.2 Billion in New Pea & Faba Protein Facility

Swedish cooperative Lantmännen announces a SEK 1.2 billion (€105M) investment in a new plant-based protein facility in Lidköping, Sweden. Expected to be operational by the first half of 2027, the new plant will produce 7,000 tonnes of pea and faba protein isolates annually for plant-based foods, from meat and dairy alternatives to sports drinks, gluten-free pasta and bakery products. The plant will create approximately 30 new jobs directly, plus hundreds of additional opportunities during the plant’s construction phase. Magnus Kagevik, Group President and CEO of Lantmännen, shares, “We need to produce more food to supply the world’s growing population, and there is a global and long-term increasing demand for plant-based proteins as a food ingredient. The investment (…) will strengthen the entire value chain from …

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Fresh green broccoli on orange background

©New Africa-stock.adobe.com

Ingredients

Demand for Plant Protein Ingredients Outgrows Soy, Giving Rise to Innovations from Peas to Upcycled Broccoli

The demand for plant protein is growing worldwide due to consumer interest in alternative proteins, awareness of the benefits of plant-based diets, and the environmental impact of animal agriculture. In response, the global market for plant protein ingredients is projected to reach US$ 11 billion by 2033, according to a Fact-MR report. Some of the key drivers of the market include the increasing demand for plant-based meat and dairy, the growing popularity of protein beverages and supplements, and the rising interest in natural and organic food products. Key players, recent launches Ingredient companies make isolates or concentrates, using technological advancements such as new extraction methods and looking for novel plant sources for protein. Soy is the most studied and widely used source of plant protein …

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Lantmännen's new biorefinery

Image credit: Lantmännen LinkedIn

Manufacturing & Technology

Lantmännen Invests SEK800M in New Biorefinery to Meet Growing Demand for Wheat Protein

Swedish cooperative Lantmännen officially inaugurated yesterday a new biorefinery in Norrköping, Sweden, designed to extract wheat protein, known as gluten.  In an announcement, Lantmännen said that it invested SEK 800 million in the new facility and hired 30 new employees to increase its production significantly to meet demand, as more businesses discover new uses for the gluten as an ingredient. “The demand for Swedish wheat protein is high both nationally and internationally. It is very positive that we can offer more customers our high-quality wheat protein,” said Lars-Gunnar Edh, Head of Energy Sector, Lantmännen. Another milestone Lantmännen is an agricultural cooperative owned by over 19,000 Swedish farmers with operations in over 20 countries and an annual turnover of over €4.5 billion.  Swedish farmers provide raw wheat …

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Lantmännen

Magnus Kagevik, Group President and CEO of Lantmännen © Lantmännen

Investments & Finance

$91 Million Investment for Pea Protein Facility in Sweden Strengthens Local Production in Northern Europe

The investment of over SEK 1 billion ($91 million) in a new large-scale production facility for pea protein in Sweden strengthens Lantmännen’s leading position in the market for plant-based proteins in the Northern European market. Lantmännen is an agricultural cooperative and Northern Europe’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy, and food products. Owned by 19,000 Swedish farmers, the cooperative has a yearly revenue of about SEK 48 billion ($4.4 billion). Moreover, the Northern European food leader counts 10,000 employees and is active in more than 20 countries.  The pea proteins will complement Lantmännen’s range of sustainable grain-based proteins from wheat and oats. The new production facility is expected to be completed in early 2026. Large-scale production facility Lantmännen is now starting the detailed design of a …

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Mycorena’s mycelium-based protein Promyc

© Mycorena

Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Lantmännen Enters Strategic Venture with Mycorena for Sweden’s Mycoprotein Future

Lantmännen Cerealia, the Swedish agricultural giant, is entering into a partnership with mycelium-based protein food tech Mycorena. With the stated ambition of developing future mycoprotein foods for the Nordic market, the strategic venture will focus on upcycling food waste to create fungi-based protein sources and ingredients. Lantmännen – Swedish for “the farmers” – is a Swedish agricultural cooperative owned by over 19,000 Swedish farmers with operations in over 20 countries and an annual turnover of over €4.5 billion. The cooperative owns several food brands, such as AXA and Kungsörnen, and after jointly developing prototypes with Mycorena is now looking towards the growing alt protein sector.  Mycorena – a fellow Swedish company – develops mycelium-based protein from upcycled food waste, hence the synergy with Lantmännen as …

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