Extrusion

In the Fraunhofer IVV's food pilot plant, all process steps are carried out, from the development of meat alternatives to sample production © Fraunhofer IVV
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Fraunhofer IVV to Showcase Alternative Ingredients and Textured Proteins for Meat Substitutes at IFFA 2025

From 3-8 May 2025, the leading international trade fair IFFA in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, will focus on the topic of ‘Technology for Meat and Alternative Proteins’. In line with this, the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV will be showing how alternative ingredients and textured proteins can be used to create meat substitute products with the typical meat structure. Technologies for automated cleaning will be presented for resource-saving and efficient production. The Fraunhofer IVV will be exhibiting at the VDMA stand in Hall 11, VDMA Stand C31. With its expertise in the field of alternative proteins, the Fraunhofer IVV offers food and ingredient manufacturers comprehensive support. This ranges from the selection of raw materials and process development to market-ready foods. At the …

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Happy Plant Protein team

© Timo Kauppila/Happy Plant Protein
Investments & Acquisitions

Happy Plant Protein Raises €1.8M for Technology Empowering Local Food Manufacturers to Produce Plant Protein

Happy Plant Protein, a spinout from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has raised €1.8 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Nordic Foodtech VC. The round also saw participation from Butterfly Ventures and Business Finland via a grant. The funding will be used to further develop and license Happy Plant Protein’s patented technology, which allows for the production of high-quality plant proteins with existing extrusion machinery. The technology could empower local food manufacturers and brands to produce their own plant proteins, removing the need for imports. This would make plant proteins available with only minor investments and no regulatory hurdles, accelerating new product development and market entry. The process is also significantly more affordable than conventional methods of manufacturing plant protein isolates, since …

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supplied by Clextral
Manufacturing & Technology

Clextral Introduces Texturizing Tech for Realistic Meat & Fish Whole Cuts

Clextral, a French firm specializing in machinery for food production, has developed innovative equipment for producing realistic plant-based meat and fish whole cuts: Galaxy Texturation Technology. Designed explicitly for vegetable protein texturization, Clextral’s new patented technology enables the production of larger, softer, more fibrous products that mimic the texture of meat or fish without compromising production capacity: 400 kg of product per hour. Gilles Maller, Senior Vice President and Head of Clextral Americas Business Unit, commented, “Creating a great product requires a 360° view of customer expectations and a deep understanding of how the product is processed.” Flexibility for innovation Clextral says its new machinery delivers unmatched product performance by combining two processes: shear cell fibrillation and continuous extrusion. As explained by the company, by …

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Givaudan, MISTA, and Bühler, three top players in the food industry, reveal the establishment of a cutting-edge extrusion hub at the MISTA Innovation Center in San Francisco.

Inauguration of new extrusion hub at MISTA Innovation Center in San Francisco - Image provided
Manufacturing & Technology

Givaudan, MISTA, and Bühler Launch New Extrusion Hub for Plant-Based Products in USA

Givaudan, MISTA, and Bühler, three top players in the food industry, announce the launch of a cutting-edge extrusion hub at the MISTA Innovation Center in San Francisco, USA. The new facility advances MISTA’s capabilities in driving food innovation, while Givaudan and Bühler have teamed up to provide a platform for conducting product development trials for extruded products.  The hub features a 30mm twin-screw Bühler extruder capable of high and low-moisture extrusion, making it suitable for various products, including plant-based meats, cereals, and snacks. According to the announcement, the facility’s extruding equipment is larger than benchtop extruders and offers a high output capacity of 50 kilograms per hour. By leveraging these capabilities, companies can translate their trials into full-scale production equipment. At the same time, they …

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Coperion introduces new extrusion unit

© Coperion
Cultivated Meat

Coperion Introduces “Texture Solutions” for Plant-Based and Cultivated Meat

Coperion, a leader in compounding and twin screw extrusion equipment and systems for alternative proteins, has developed an innovative texturizing unit for its extruder to help manufacturers mimic animal flesh more easily. Called the MEGAtex S7, Coperion’s new equipment is mounted at the discharge of the ZSK Food Extruder, allowing producers to switch between making texturized vegetable proteins (TVP) and high-moisture meat analogs (HMMA). TVP and HMMA products are manufactured using accurate feeding systems and a food extruder. When the melt discharges from the extruder, the setup significantly differs. While TVP is released and directly cut at the nozzle plate, HMMA requires a special cooling die. In the cooling die, the material is cooled down and forced into a laminar flow, creating a meat-like structure. Extrusion …

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Meat Analogue developed by Lund University

© Lund University
Science

Lund University Researchers Uncover Optimal Raw Material Blend for the Most Appealing Plant-Based Meat

Food technology researchers at Lund University in Sweden have found the best raw material combination to make the most appetizing plant-based meat using extrusion: wheat gluten and hemp seed. The research, led by Karolina Östbring and Jeanette Purhagen, focuses on creating alternatives that mimic the texture and consistency of real meat, addressing the common complaint that vegan food does not deliver the “meaty” experience.   Focusing on texture, temperature, and taste — the three “Ts” — the team discovered a way to introduce chewiness into vegetable meat by imitating muscle fibers, using an extruder and various raw materials.  According to Purhagen, extruders are essential for producing meat analogs with suitable, long fibers, providing the desired chewy texture that people appreciate in meat.  Finding the optimal combination  …

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IFF has invested in high-moisture extrusion (HME) technology systems to support manufacturers in creating fibrous plant-based whole cuts.

Image courtesy of IFF
Manufacturing & Technology

IFF Installs High-Moisture Extrusion Systems to Drive Innovation in Plant-Based Meat Market with Whole Cuts

Food and beverage leader IFF (NYSE: IFF) announces that it has invested in high-moisture extrusion (HME) technology systems to support manufacturers in creating fibrous, plant-based whole cuts. The newly acquired HME systems, designed and manufactured by the global leader in extrusion technology, Coperion, feature exact powder and liquid feeders, ensuring high-quality production and remarkable flexibility, explains IFF.  They have been installed and are already operational at the company’s innovation hubs across Europe, the USA, and Singapore. According to the company, this initiative is part of its continuous efforts to offer solutions and services to the plant-based meat and fish industry. “Consumer demand for plant-based products that offer an experience akin to eating meat is huge, and HME is one of the best ways to meet it. …

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Christopher Busch, Head of R&D Extruded Products

Christopher Busch, Head of R&D Extruded Products ©Crespel & Deiters Group
Interviews

Loryma: “There is a Move Towards Stand-Alone Plant-Based Products That Offer More Than Mere Meat Replacement”

Christopher Busch is Head of Research & Development, Extruded Products at Loryma, part of the Crespel & Deiters Group. As an extrusion specialist, he has been working for the Crespel & Deiters Group for several years and, together with his team, helps develop innovative solutions using extruded ingredients. The complexity of extrusion and the almost infinite possibilities offered by the process are what most excite him. At the end of a busy year during which Loryma has developed wheat-based tuna, wheat-based egg replacer for baked goods, as well as a heat-stable salami substitute that leverages fermentation to recreate an authentic visual and sensory replication (pictured below), we spoke with Christopher to hear his reflections on 2023 and thoughts for the new year ahead. Can you …

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HME made chicken chunks

Image courtesy of Planteneers
Ingredients

Planteneers Introduces Pea-Based High Moisture Extrudates for Meaty Alternatives

Planteneers has developed a range of pea-based high moisture extrudates (HME) for plant-based meat that is said to deliver an “authentically” meat-like structure. Branded fiildTex, the range offers various sizes and shapes, including chunks or kebabs. They are described as allergens-free, clean-label, and high in protein, offering 30g per 100g and a NutriScore A. Moreover, they can be used in fish alternatives or as components of ready meals, making them suitable for retail and food service. They are flash frozen (IQF-frozen), allowing 12 months of storage at -18°C. At this year’s Plant Based World Expo in London and at Fi Europe’s latest fair in Frankfurt, the German food tech firm showcased the new HME in a plant-based kebab dish to demonstrate the capabilities of the …

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© Vemiwa
Manufacturing & Technology

Vemiwa: Additive-Free Meat Alternatives Made From Western European Legumes

Vemiwa is an independent plant-based food producer that manufactures a range of meat, fish, and dairy alternatives at its recently completed facility in Bavaria, Germany. While many manufacturers use additives and thickeners to help give plant-based products a meat-like texture, Vemiwa has a focus on additive-free production. With support from the Fraunhofer Institute in Freising, the company has developed an extrusion technique that achieves a fibrous texture by combining plant proteins, water, and oil under high pressure and heat, with no need for additives. While meat alternatives are often made from soy or wheat, Vemiwa uses legumes such as peas and fava beans, which are allergen-free and easy to source organically. These raw materials are all grown within Germany and Western Europe, keeping delivery routes …

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Image supplied by Clextral
Manufacturing & Technology

Clextral’s innovative developments in producing affordable and tasty alternative proteins

The world’s population is increasing. The living standards are rising in many countries. To satisfy the expanding demand for meat and fish consumption, industrial livestock and aquaculture production has multiplied. However, aware of the societal, ethical and environmental effects of an animal-based diet, more and more consumers are willing to reduce their meat and fish consumption by introducing healthy non-animal protein sources into their diets. Mankind being omnivorous, we can anticipate that the global population will still, on average, include meat and fish in its diet. However, some of this consumption of meat and fish products could be replaced by another type of high protein food: plant-based meat and fish substitutes. One of the major challenges of the 21st century will be feeding the growing …

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Nowadays clean-label nuggets

© Nowadays
Manufacturing & Technology

Industry Leaders Launch GreenProtein AI to Revolutionize the Texture of Plant-Based Meat

Food System Innovations (FSI), a nonprofit organization founded by industry veteran David Meyer, has joined forces with AI and machine learning expert Noa Weiss to launch GreenProtein AI. GreenProtein AI is described as an innovative project that could revolutionize the alternative protein industry with a new wave of improved meat and fish alternatives.   The project focuses on leveraging state-of-the-art AI and machine learning technologies to optimize the extrusion process, which plays a crucial role in achieving the desired texture of plant-based meat. AI has the potential to predict the texture of products, moving away from inefficient trial-and-error methods. This advantage can lead to reduced consumer prices, faster innovation, and an expanded role for extruders in producing plant-based meats. David Meyer, who previously served as …

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Bunge to build soy protein concentrate facility

© Bunge
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Bunge Breaks Ground on $500M Facility to Supply Soy Protein for Plant-Based Foods Market

Global agribusiness firm Bunge announces it has begun construction on a new $500M soybean processing facility in Morristown, Indiana. Opening in mid-2025, the “fully integrated” plant will produce soy protein concentrates and textured soy protein concentrates for the plant-based foods market.  The new facility is adjacent to Bunge’s existing soybean processing plant in Morristown, which focuses on processing soy for animal feed and byproducts like soybean oil. Once operational, the new plant will employ 70 workers and be able to process 4.5 million bushels of soybeans every year.  According to Aaron Buettner, president of food solutions at Bunge, the success of Bunge’s first processing plant influenced the company to re-invest in the Morristown community.  “It’s really the relationship that we have with community and the …

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Christoph Jenny of Eatplanted

Christoph Jenn © Eatplanted
Interviews

Eatplanted: “We Want to Revolutionise the Way Meat and Protein-Rich Foods Are Consumed”

Eatplanted is one of Europe’s fastest-growing alt meat producers, combining extrusion and fermentation technology to make highly realistic meat alternatives. Founded in Switzerland in 2019, Eatplanted rapidly began attracting investor interest and raising large sums of funding. The company then announced ambitious plans to develop whole cuts of plant-based meat — an area that has eluded many producers — and to become Europe’s biggest alt meat brand. Soon, Eatplanted was expanding internationally. The company arrived in the UK less than a year ago but has already been widely successful, securing listings at national retailers such as Morrisons and Holland & Barrett. We caught up with co-founder Christoph Jenny to find out more about Eatplanted’s products and goals for 2023. What is the story behind Eatplanted? …

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Coperion extrusion seminar

© Coperion
Manufacturing & Technology

Coperion’s Food Extrusion Seminar Taking Place Again This November 

Coperion’s Food Extrusion Seminar on the latest technical developments and trends in twin screw food extrusion will take place in Stuttgart, Germany, on November 9 and 10, 2022. In this seminar, participants will learn the basics and trends of twin screw extruders for food production and will master how to assemble screw elements in a practical session. In an additional Q&A session, Coperion’s experts will explain the entire extrusion process details, from feeding, processing, and pelletizing to drying and conveying. The seminar’s topics address the needs of production and development department employees that work with food extrusion or twin screw extruders regularly. The seminar is intended for product and process development staff and plant and manufacturing engineers. Participants should be familiar with food composition and …

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Loryma salmon fillet

©Loryma

Investments & Finance

Germany’s Crespel & Deiters Group Acquires Dutch Food Solutions Company ECP

The Crespel & Deiters Group, a leading producer of wheat-based solutions in Germany, has completed the integration of high-protein food solutions company Extruded Cereal Products B.V. into its portfolio to accelerate revenue growth in the booming plant-based and high-protein market. Having successfully collaborated since 2007, the two entities formed a joint venture in 2014 and, at the beginning of 2020, Crespel & Deiters acquired a 100% shareholding of ECP. Based in the Netherlands, ECP is an international pioneer in the extrusion of cereal and protein products. From now on, the distribution of the extrudates produced by ECP will be transferred to Loryma’s portfolio, the food specialist within the Crespel & Deiters Group developing innovative concepts that optimise meat and meat alternatives, baked goods, confectionery and …

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Left: a typical chicken substitute produced by high-moisture extrusion. Right: Umiami’s chicken breast made with their proprietary technology. ©Umiami
Food & Beverage

Forget Extrusion. Umiami is Here.

Ever wondered why whole chicken breasts, tenderloins, or large cuts of fish don’t usually have a plant-based counterpart? The answer is simply because most current technologies are too limiting to achieve such products. And that’s exactly where the French startup Umiami comes in. The company is only months away from producing the world’s first whole-cuts at scale. What’s more, its products are available to other brands through private labelling. Tristan Maurel, CEO, and co-founder of Umiami, explains: “Until now, there were only two options: dry extrusion to create minced products such as burger patties or sausages, and wet extrusion to create small chicken-like pieces. However, no technology allowed to create thick fibrous whole cuts of meat.” “We’re only months away from being the first company …

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Products that Umiami has developed using their proprietary process. From left to right and top to bottom: fish sticks, whole cut of cod, chicken breasts, and chicken nuggets. ©Umiami
Food & Beverage

Sponsored Post

Umiami unveils its unique proprietary alternative to extrusion to produce plant-based whole cuts…

and sells its products as private labels!

Paris-based technology company Umiami just unveiled what it has been working on for the past 18 months: a proprietary texturization process to create plant-based whole cuts of meat and fish. It can now claim that it is one of the very few companies in the world to have invented an alternative to extrusion. What’s more? They plan to make their unique products available to other brands too! Tristan Maurel, CEO, and co-founder of Umiami, explains: “Until now, there were only two options: dry extrusion to create minced products such as burger patties or sausages, and wet extrusion to create small chicken-like pieces. However, no technology allowed to create thick fibrous whole cuts of meat.” And that’s why, to recreate the fibrous structure of meat in …

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Volker Heinz & Ian Roberts of Volker Heinz & Ian Roberts & DIL

Volker Heinz & Ian Roberts ©Bühler Group
Company News

Bühler and DIL Partner to Progress Sustainability in Meat Substitutes

Swiss technology group Bühler AG and the DIL Deutsches Institut for Lebensmitteltechnik, a research institute focusing on food technology and food science, have teamed up to develop new production technologies for the next generation of extruded meat substitutes, focusing on a lower environmental impact than animal meat.

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Dr. Volker Heinz, head of the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL)

© Jörg Sarbach
Interviews

German Institute of Food Technologies: “We Are Able to Cover Every Area in the Field of Food Technology”

Before a product can enter the market there is a long waiting period – especially with foods which require the usage of processing techniques like some vegan products. This period is where the German Institute of Food Technologies operates. Under the management of Dr.-Ing. Volker Heinz a team of experts throughout several laboratories help innovative products to come to life. Reason enough for us to have an interview with him about the interesting field of vegan food research and technology.

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