Equinom, AGT collaborate to create plant-based protein ingredients

Photo © iStockphoto.com/Alasdair Thomson

Equinom (Indianapolis, IN) and AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. (AGT)entered into an agreement to co-create a portfolio of plant-based functional ingredients produced from Equinom yellow pea varieties. Equinom uses its proprietary Manna technology platform to breed better crops from the source by analyzing data from thousands of seed varieties and identifying those with desirable traits for food applications to breed new crop varieties – all without genetic engineering. AGT will apply its expertise in pulses fractionation, processing, production and marketing to expand its pulse ingredient portfolio.

“To meet the growing global demand for better plant-based foods, we need more innovative, sustainably produced ingredients that deliver on food functionality and fulfill the demand from both consumers and food companies for high-quality, plant-based protein products that are good for the environment,” said Murad Al-Katib, president and CEO of AGT Food and IngredientsInc., in a press release. “We believe that this partnership with Equinom compliments the significant process engineering work that AGT has developed for producing plant-based protein products. This partnership will bring anew approach combining Equinom’s advanced breeding technology and expertise with AGT’s ability tomake quality ingredients and food products.”

As part of the agreement, AGT will market and sell the cobranded ingredients to food companies in its existing network as well as new customers in the food marketplace.

“We’re thrilled to join forces with AGT and leverage their breadth of know-how and expertise in pulses and grain processing, production, and marketing of ingredients,” said Rick Mignella, chief business development officer at Equinom, in a press release. “We prioritize partnership at every level of the supply chain and view this collaboration with AGT—a like-minded, purpose-driven innovator in the ingredient space—as central to facilitating the widespread adoption of plant-forward eating that is so critical to improving the health of our growing population and our planet.”