ChickP ‒ The First in the World to Launch the Groundbreaking 90% Chickpea Isolate

ChickP Protein (ChickP), the first in the world to launch the groundbreaking 90% chickpea isolate, has announced that it has successfully patented its plant-based protein solution in Israel. This milestone comes after an enduring journey of intensive research and development that began in 2015. Growthwell Group, a local investor in ChickP, is helping the company with its patent application in Singapore.

“Our successful patent application in Israel has been five years in the making,” says Ron Klein, CEO of ChickP. “We stand on the shoulders of researchers and food technologists, without whom this feat would not have been possible. We are excited to see how our partnership with Growthwell Group can take our market reach to the next level.”

Chickpea isolate — excelling in taste, texture & function

The 90% chickpea isolate is developed by the faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Using state-of-the-art, patent-pending technology, the faculty is able to extract up to 90% pure plant protein out of the chickpea seed. As it contains all essential amino acids, the isolate is considered a complete protein. The isolate comes in powder form, making it an easy ingredient for food manufacturers to incorporate into their recipes.

Research has found that products containing the 90% chickpea isolate consistently excel in taste, texture and functionality. Furthermore, the chickpea proteins are allergen free and not genetically modified.

• Taste: As they boast an inherent bitter or off flavour, most plant-based proteins require the addition of sugar, artificial flavouring or other masking agents to cover the taste. ChickP’s proteins however have a neutral flavour, and hence do not require any flavouring additive. This allows food manufacturers to achieve a clean label.
• Texture and functionality: Many plant-based proteins have a sandy or chalky texture which makes for an unpleasant mouthfeel. ChickP’s proteins, however, have a smooth texture and strong emulsion stability as well as high solubility and smooth viscosity.
• Allergen-free: Many of the market’s known plant-based products are allergenic, as they are made with milk, soy, tree nuts or peanuts, which are classified under the Big 8 Food Allergens list. This means that people living with these allergens are unable to incorporate the plant-based products into their diets. As chickpea allergies are exceedingly rare, the 90% chickpea isolate is considered to be free of allergen.
• Non-GMO: ChickP’s proteins are also not genetically modified, and do not contain phytoestrogens.

Newly launched ChickP Native Starch – a versatile and useful ingredient

In addition, circa mid-November, ChickP launched its next-generation, non-GMO native starch. Due to its narrower granule-size distribution compared with those of pea and potato starches, ChickP Native Starch boasts better gelling and thickening properties. Hence, it is a great thickening or binding agent for soups, sauces, confectioneries, dairy, baked goods, desserts, meat and plant-based meat products. Not only that, its versatility makes it an excellent ingredient for extruded snacks or as an anti-caking agent for powdered blends such as instant soups, spices and premixes.

Scaling up commercial production and launch of seafood alternatives

In 2020, ChickP began the commercial production of its 90% chickpea isolate. The pilot production saw a yield of 50 tonnes. By 2021, ChickP is set to augment its production capabilities, manufacturing over 1,000 tonnes of the isolate. This expansion will benefit even more food manufacturers who are keen on strengthening their portfolios of sustainable plant-based meats.

Growthwell, a leading manufacturer of plant-based alternatives for meat and seafood for the South East Asian market since 1989, is a significant shareholder of ChickP. It plans to open a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Singapore by 2021 Q2. The facility will have the latest food technology applications, high moisture extrusion (HME) capabilities and a fully automatic manufacturing production line to scale production and cater to the strong demand for plant-based meat and seafood alternatives in the region.

“The pandemic has put a crimp in our plans to launch the manufacturing plant this year,” says Justin Chou, second-generation leader and Executive Director of Growthwell Group. “But henceforth, it is full steam ahead. We are confident that the 90% chickpea isolate is the next frontier in plant-based meat. We are excited about supporting ChickP in its R&D journey as well as bringing alternative meat products made with chickpea proteins to the global stage.”

One innovative application of ChickP’s protein is in seafood and meat alternative products, through Texturised Vegetable Protein (TVP) and HME. Chickpea-based TVP/HME has clean label qualities and the potential to be a highly adaptable superfood with its several nutritional characteristics – high protein, high fibre, low carb and low sodium. With Chickpea-based TVP/HME, Growthwell is in its final round of researching and developing a chickpea protein-based seafood alternative collection – ChickP Squid, ChickP Crab Patty, and ChickP Shrimp – which will be free of allergens, gluten, lactose, and hormones, making it one of the safest proteins available for consumption.

With an established supply network in Asia Pacific, Growthwell is in a unique position to export these products to more than 10 different countries such as US, Spain, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia.

Source: brand-cellar.com

全球首创推出90% 鹰嘴豆分离物品牌ChickP Protein (ChickP)，宣布在以色列成功为其植物性蛋白质方案申请到专利。工作团队从2015年起努力不懈密集研发，终于达到这一里程碑。ChickP的本地投资者Growthwell集团，正在协助公司申请新加坡专利。

ChickP总裁Ron Klein说：“在以色列成功申请专利，花了五年的时间。一切要归功于研究人员与食品技术人员努力，没有他们的付出，就没有这项成果。我们很兴奋能与Growthwell集团合作，带领我们触及更广大的市场。”

鹰嘴豆分离蛋白质 — 风味、质感、实用性面面俱佳

90%鹰嘴豆分离物是由ChickP与耶路撒冷希伯来大学农业、食物与环境学院联合开发，使用已经申请专利的先进技术，从鹰嘴豆萃取高达90%的纯植物性蛋白质。分离物含有人体所需的氨基酸，可作为完整的蛋白质。分离物为粉状形式，方便食品制造商纳入食谱中使用。
研究发现，含有90%鹰嘴豆分离物的产品在风味、质感和实用功能方便都很优秀。而且，鹰嘴豆蛋白不含过敏原，没有任何基因改造。

• 风味: 多数的植物性蛋白都带有苦味或其他味道，需要添加糖分、人造调味或其他调味来掩盖。ChickP的蛋白质却不带异味，因此不需要添加任何调味，让食品制造商能拥有更天然干净的标签。
• 质感与实用性: 多数的植物性蛋白都带有浑浊，口感不佳。ChickP的蛋白质却质感丝滑，有很强的乳液稳定性、高溶解度和顺滑的粘度。
• 无过敏原: 市面上很多植物性产品都含过敏原，大多是以牛奶、豆类、坚果或花生制作，归类于8大食物过敏原清单。这意味着体质过敏人士无法在膳食中纳入植物性产品。由于鹰嘴豆过敏非常罕见， 90% 鹰嘴豆分离物归类为无过敏原。
• 无转基因: ChickP 的蛋白质也未经基因改造，不含植物性雌激素。

新推出的ChickP Native Starch天然淀粉 – 灵活材料

11月中， ChickP 推出新一代的无转基因天然淀粉。由于其颗粒大小分布与豌豆和马铃薯淀粉相比更为狭窄，具有更好的胶凝和增稠特性，适合在多种食品应用中用作增稠剂或粘合剂，包括汤、酱料、糖果、乳制品、烘焙食品、甜点、肉类和植物肉。此外，也适用于膨化食品或作为粉状混合食品的抗结剂，如即饮汤品、香料、调料包。

增加商业生产及推出海鲜代替品

2020年， ChickP 开始90%鹰嘴豆分离物的商业生产，首批产量为50公吨。到了2021年， ChickP 将提高生产能力，生产超过1000公吨的分离物。增加产量将使更多食品制造商都能够加强他们的永续植物性代替产品。

成立于1989年的Growthwell是东南亚市场领先的肉类及海鲜植物性蛋白替代食品制造商，也是ChickP的最大股东。集团计划在2021年第二季在新加坡设立先进制造中心。新设计将备有最新食品技术设施、高水分挤压（HME）设备，以及全自动化生产线，满足本区域对植物性肉类与海鲜代替品的强大需求。

Growthwell集团董事经理及第二代领导人Justin Chou说：“我们原定在今年设立制造厂，但受到疫情影响而延误，接下来必须卯足全力前进。我们有信心，90%鹰嘴豆分离物将走在植物性肉类代替品的前沿。我们很兴奋能够支持的ChickP研发，把使用鹰嘴豆蛋白质制造的肉类代替品带上全球市场。”

ChickP蛋白质的一项创新用途是通过组织化植物蛋白（TVP）和高水份挤压，制作海鲜与肉类代替品。鹰嘴豆基础的TVP/HME有天然产品标签的品质，有可能成为最灵活的超级食物，附有多种营养特色 – 高蛋白、高纤维、低淀粉、低钠。Growthwell目前正在使用ChickP的鹰嘴豆蛋白开发植物基海鲜系列产品，包括ChickP鱿鱼、ChickP虾和ChickP蟹肉饼等，全都不含过敏原、麸质、乳糖与荷尔蒙，成为最安全、最适合食用的蛋白质。

Growthwell在亚太地区拥有广阔的供应网络，能以很好的优势把产品外销到超过10个国家，包括美国、西班牙、印尼、马来西亚、澳大利亚等等。

媒体: brand-cellar.com