India’s Supplant Foods Secures Patent for Functional and Flavorless Chickpea Flour – vegconomist

Supplant Foods, a company based in India that sources, processes, and markets high-quality plant-based ingredients, announces that it has secured a patent for a method to produce a high-performance chickpea flour for plant-based alternatives and gluten-free foods.

Developed by Supplant Foods’ team of researchers and experts, the patented process enhances the functionality of chickpea protein, effectively eliminates the compounds responsible for undesired off-flavors, and removes the color, expanding its use for food and beverages.

Headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra, Supplant Foods has access to raw materials and low-cost quality manufacturing, allowing it to create a long-term, sustained value chain of sustainable products. The company has distribution partners in the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, and Australia, in addition to India.  

The taste challenge

Despite the health and sustainability benefits of plant-based alternatives, widespread consumer acceptance has been hindered by off-flavors such as ‘beany,’ ‘green’, or ‘bitter’ of plant proteins.  According to a consumer insights report by the Good Food Institute, taste remains a significant purchasing barrier, as consumers think plant-based meat should mimic the taste of meat.

Supplant Foods states that this innovation addresses current challenges in the taste and texture of plant-based products and supports more sustainable agricultural practices. Chickpeas require far less water and pesticides than other crops and boast the lowest carbon footprint among protein sources. Remarkably, all chickpeas are non-GMO, underscoring their role in sustainable agriculture, explains the company.

Aware of this challenge, companies such as the Israeli food tech ChickP has created a flavorless protein isolate for dairy-free cheese and other applications, while the Vancouver-based company Renaissance BioScience is working to develop a yeast-based solution to neutralize the compounds responsible for off-flavors in plant-based flours.

Functional and allergen-free

Supplant Foods’ flour is said to offer functional and non-allergenic properties, closely mirroring the versatility of wheat. According to the company, its innovative flour improves mouthfeel in gluten-free, dairy-free, and eggless formulations and as an alternative to wheat, is poised to transform bread and baked goods. Moreover, it competes with premium semolina flours in creating elastic and binding qualities for extruded snacks and pasta.

Regarding nutrition, Supplant’s chickpea flour has 20%+ protein and contains fiber, resistant starch, minerals, and vitamins. In addition, it has a very low glycemic index (<30%).

Chirag Sabunani, commercial director at Supplant Foods, told vegconomist: “We see the industry as one needing TRUE solutions that hit on the parameters of taste, price and nutrition (…) in the food industry we need to provide solutions that are affordable and then that do the job. This is why we have taken the approach we have and developed the technology that we have to maximise what we can do with what nature has offered us. And this is not just an India-specific approach but a global one.”