Sabinsa Debuts Promond Almond Protein Powder, Emphasizes Importance of Supply Chain Transparency at SupplySide West 2017

Photo ©iStockphoto.com/GeoffBlack

At this year’s SupplySide West show, Sabinsa Corporation (East Windsor, NJ) launched its new Promond almond protein powder ingredient, sourced from an Indian variety of almonds. The company said its Promond ingredient is a sustainably sourced answer to consumer demand for dairy and meat protein alternatives.

Though Promond is Sabinsa’s first protein powder ingredient, the company says it’s the natural next step in the firm’s continuously diversifying ingredient range. Shaheen Majeed, president of Sabinsa, worldwide, told Nutritional Outlook at the show that Sabinsa’s customers have long expressed interested in how the company’s existing ingredients work in conjunction with a protein. “We’ve had to go back and research protein anyway,” he explained. “Then we started looking at sources of non-dairy, non-meat proteins. Because we are largely based in India, and the manufacturing is done there, we were not going to get protein from meat sources. It made sense that if we were ever going to do a protein that it would be from [the plant protein] realm.”

What sets Promond apart from other plant protein sources on the market, Majeed said, is the simple fact that it’s an almond ingredient. He said that almond is typically utilized for its flavor, not its protein potential. “We knew then that we had a pretty unique story,” he said. Promond has about 50% protein content by AOAC method in water soluble form, While almonds have high protein content, Majeed said, there are also products available on the market at just 2% almonds as in Almond milk, which may not provide enough almonds or their protein . He added that Promond also provides a complete spectrum of amino acids.

Majeed also pointed out that Sabinsa’s ability to remain flexible as consumer desires shift over time has been an asset to the company. While its Curcumin C3 complex remains the top seller, the firm’s second highest-selling ingredient is a probiotic. Majeed said that having such diverse bestsellers has led to an expanded customer base. When Sabinsa decided to take on almond protein, Majeed said, “we understood that it was going to be another conversation that’s going to help grow this company. It was a challenge, and I think we’ve happily accepted that challenge.”

Another challenge that Sabinsa has been meeting head on is supply chain transparency and integrity-from the sourcing and farming of its botanical ingredients to the manufacturing process. Promond, Majeed said, is one example of what a stable supply chain looks like. “You can see exactly where the almond is [being grown],” he explained. “We work hand in hand with the people that are producing the almonds. It’s [a sustainable operation] because these are massive farmlands, where the almonds are grown. Our farmers are paramount. We take very good care of them. We believe that taking care of the farmer creates some of the best products out there.”

Also read: 

Sabinsa Cosmetics Granted Two New Ingredient Patents

Sabinsa Becomes Initial Founding Board Member of Global Curcumin Association

2017 Plant Protein Ingredient Update