Plant protein companies looking to expand usage and supply of Canadian lupin

Protein Industries Canada is looking to promote a new project to help entice farmers to use an up-and-coming legume in fields.

They announced the Lupin platform, along with PURIS Holdings and YOSO Canada, to expand the Canadian lupin ecosystem by increasing opportunities for farmers and ingredient processors and bringing new plant-based protein products to market.

“This Protein Industries Cluster project, led by Lupin Platform and its partners, will drive new opportunities for Canadians and bring more plant-based food options to market,” stated François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of innovation, science, and industry, “This project will not only boost Canada’s economic advantage and foster strong supply chains but also has potential for meaningfully impacting Canada’s food landscape for generations to come.”

Lupin Platform and PURIS will build off their work from a previous Protein Industries Canada supported project, bringing in their new partner, YOSO, to collectively elevate the profile, utilization, and distribution of Canadian-grown lupin and associated products.

Together, they will develop, scale up and improve new and existing CPG products and ingredients, including plant-based egg and dairy products, flour and flour-based bakery mixes, and a B2B ready-to-mix powder.

“De-risking innovation is crucial to fostering a more dynamic marketplace for growers, processors and manufacturers alike. Investments into this type of platform technology will help Canada reach our goal of a $25 billion ingredient processing and food manufacturing sector,” CEO of Protein Industries Canada Bill Greuel said.

The project will see $6.2 million co-invested into the expansion of the lupin value chain to establish the crop as a viable and economically sound choice for Canadian farmers, optimized processes for cleaning, dehulling, and milling of lupin, and into the development, scale-up, and improvement of new ingredient and CPG products. Protein Industries Canada will invest $2.6 million, with the partners investing the remainder.