News

Paravel expands protein production

1 Dec 2015

Parabel USA, a provider of sustainable solutions for food ingredient production, has announced that it has signed a lease for 450 acres of land in Fellsmere, Florida, to start production of its LENTEIN protein.

Parabel USA, a provider of sustainable solutions for food ingredient production, has announced that it has signed a lease for 450 acres of land in Fellsmere, Florida, to start production of its LENTEIN protein.

Parabel estimates that the total investment will be around $10 million in this location which will be followed by other locations already chosen by Parabel and validated for growth and other parameters.

The company notes that protein is considered as a route to a healthier lifestyle through weight management and as this new protein ingredient is extracted from protein rich water lentils, it would also be free of major allergens such as soy and gluten.

"We are proud to introduce the first commercial processing system of water lentils in Fellsmere, USA," said Parabel CEO Anthony Tiarks. "There are no other protein ingredients in the market that can deliver such volumes in a sustainable way and at the right price and we now have the right location to do this, and it's in the USA. Sourcing fresh, non GMO ingredients is an issue that food manufacturers are struggling with today. We hope to be part of solving these issues."

Parabel says that the global food industry has expressed great interest in this nutritious and functional ingredient and many are waiting for commercial quantities of the product for inclusion into their existing products or development of new products with healthy claims. 'Made in the USA' is seen as another benefit by the global health and wellness industry, it believes.

Parabel says that it has been looking for the ideal location to build its first farm and found it close to its pilot plant in Florida. The state has an abundance of water, sunshine and flat land which sets it apart from other states in the USA when it comes to agriculture. The processing plant is set to be ready in the second quarter of next year and products can be expected shortly after that.

This is Parabel's first large scale commercial site and will be equipped with Parabel's patented technology. The technology is a combination of patent granted and patent pending systems. This site will produce 1,000 metric tons of product per year at the outset and production will increase to 4,000 metric tons. Parabel says it has also chosen several other locations in South America and East Africa, where the growth has been validated, and will increase production into these regions as demand increases. The system is said to be highly scalable and customisable to market requirements.