German company Prolupin GmbH has developed a vegan ingredient for dairy-free products made from a perennial flowering plant called a lupin, which belongs to the pea family. The innovative start-up, which was founded in 2010 as a spin-off by the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, is the world’s first company to produce vegan foods based on lupin protein according to a patented manufacturing process – and with great success.

 

Lupin (also called Lupine) protein is a sustainable regional alternative to soya, rice, almond and coconut with an advantageous ecological footprint, and is characterised by an almost neutral taste in comparison to other plant-based protein sources. In terms of taste and texture, the resulting products are very close to those made from cow’s milk, and thus set a new benchmark for plant-based alternatives.

 

Made with LUVE

 

While the plant has been used in food for centuries, Prolupin now separates various fractions from its seeds for the raw material. Since 2015 the company has distributed its products under the umbrella brand “Made with LUVE” – LUVE being a composition of LUpin and VEgan. The range comprises 25 products including GMO-free vegan lupine alternatives to yoghurt, desserts, cream cheese, milk, mayonnaise, noodles and ice cream.

 

The company debuted its new product, the Lupine Protein Isolate (LPI), at this year’s Anuga trade exhibition in Cologne, Germany. According to Prolupin, the plant ingredient can improve the final product of some food; it can stabilise fat in the final products, and enhance the emulsion capacity; it can also bind water and reduce losses of water.