Ingredion invests $140 million to expand plant protein production

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Ingredion (Westchester, IL) has announced a combined $140 million in strategic investments to accelerate the company’s production of plant proteins globally. In February 2018, Ingredion purchased a soy processing facility in South Sioux City, Nebraska, and transformed the site to produce pea protein isolates, with further plans to expand production of isolates from other pulses as well. Once everything is complete, this facility will produce ingredients that enhance the firm’s Vitessence Pulse protein isolate line.

In addition to the new facility, Ingredion has also announced that it has entered into a joint venture agreement with Verdient Foods Inc. (Vanscoy, Saskatchewan, Canada). Here, investments are being made within the existing facility to make pulse-based protein concentrates and flours from peas, lentils, and fava beans. These investments mean that Ingredion will have two North American facilities dedicated to plant-based protein ingredients.

“We’ve identified plant-based proteins as a high-growth, high-value market opportunity that is on-trend with consumers’ desire to find sustainable and good-tasting alternatives to animal-based proteins,” said Ingredion’s president and CEO Jim Zallie in a press release.  “We’re excited by what these investments represent for Ingredion. Being a sustainable and trusted source of plant-based proteins provides us with another major ingredient platform to complement our offerings in clean-label, wholesome, texture, and nutritional ingredient solutions.”