Crespel & Deiters partners with Happy Plant Protein to scale clean-label TVP
The partnership will see the technology deployed at Crespel & Deiters’ facility in Helmond, the Netherlands, to produce high-quality textured vegetable proteins (TVP) from European-grown pulses such as fava beans and peas.
THE NETHERLANDS – German ingredient manufacturer Crespel & Deiters has announced a strategic commercial partnership with Finnish foodtech startup Happy Plant Protein to bring the latter’s patented dry extrusion technology to an industrial scale.
The commercial-scale production is officially underway at Crespel & Deiters’ extrusion facility in Helmond, which is operated by ECP B.V.
This venture represents the first large-scale, industrial implementation of Happy Plant Protein’s proprietary processing technology by a major European food ingredient manufacturer.
The primary focus of this collaboration is the production of high-quality textured vegetable protein (TVP) using European-grown legumes, particularly yellow peas and faba beans.
Conventionally, the isolation of legume proteins requires complex, multi-stage wet chemistry, which is energy-intensive and heavily reliant on water and chemical additives.
In contrast, Happy Plant Protein’s patented one-step process achieves dry fractionation via extrusion.
It separates legume flours into starch and protein fractions while simultaneously functionalizing the proteins into TVP.
This single-step technique bypasses the need for chemical protein isolates, significantly reducing water usage and processing complexity.
Crucially, the resulting TVP ingredients are reported to deliver a neutral taste profile and a pleasant aroma, resolving the prominent bitter and beany off-notes that typically limit the formulation of legume-based proteins.
This neutral canvas allows food manufacturers to tailor the texture, hydration behavior, and functional performance of the proteins for versatile applications.
These include plant-based meat analogues, hybrid meat-and-plant products, ready meals, and extruded snacks.
For the 168-year-old Crespel & Deiters group, which has historically specialized in wheat processing, this partnership is a pivotal component of its long-term diversification strategy.
Philipp Deiters, Chief Sales Officer (CSO) Food at Crespel & Deiters, emphasized that the dry extrusion method offers a responsible, modern, and cost-efficient way to manufacture functional ingredients close to European customers’ geographic and sustainability demands.
Jari Karlsson, CEO and co-founder of Happy Plant Protein, noted that the agreement validates the growing European demand for minimally processed, regionally sourced plant protein alternatives that help reduce emissions in the food supply chain.
Sign up to HERE receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.
