Shifting Canada and the UK’s plant-based food supply chain with lupin-based food and ingredient innovation

Today, Protein Industries Canada and Innovate UK announced their third collaborative research and development (R&D) project from their bilateral partnership. This third investment of $1.5 million, on top of the $5.7 million already invested from this partnership, is building on Canada and the UK’s continued work to develop and commercialize plant-based ingredients and food on both sides of the Atlantic.

Leading the charge for Canada is Lupin Platform Inc., whose work is focused on pioneering lupin, a protein-rich pulse crop. Emerging in Canada and the UK, lupin has many nutritional and environmental benefits. As an emerging crop, with lots of potential in both Canada and the UK, the project will result in expanded lupin acres and new lupin-based ingredients and food products.

Working across the value chain, Lupin Platform and UK partner companies, BioPower Technologies Ltd., Soya UK Ltd., UK Agri-Tech Centre Ltd., and The University of Leeds, are developing new markets for lupin variety, Dieta & Barvinock, by testing its agronomy traits, functionality in ingredients and application into North American and European food products.

“Building off our strength as an agricultural powerhouse, Canada is uniquely positioned to supply global partners with high quality ingredients,” Protein Industries Canada CEO Robert Hunter said. “This partnership with the UK is an opportunity for Canadian ingredients to enter into new markets to create new food products for the UK consumers.”

Soya UK is supplying the pre-basic seed genetics to Lupin Platform to test in Canadian growing conditions through agronomic and commercial field trials. Subsequently, Lupin Platform is processing the harvested lupin grains and turning them into ingredients, such as flour and protein.

"Soya UK has been a valued, long-standing partner of Lupin Platform Inc., collaborating over several years on research into sweet white lupin agronomy and value-added processing in Canada,” Lupin Platform Inc. CEO Tristan Choi said. “Through this funded research initiative with more capable consortium partners, we are committed to accelerating the promotion of lupin as a nutritious and healthy dietary choice, while opening doors for export of lupin-based ingredients beyond North America."

These ingredients are undergoing various analyses by The University of Leeds and UK Agri-Tech Centre to generate nutritional and sensory data. BioPower Technologies is developing and commercializing the ingredients into lupin-based food products for consumers, while Lupin Platform works to drive sales of the ingredients and food products.

Partnerships like this one foster innovation and open new pathways for Canadian companies to enter global value chains, while developing new sustainable protein options for consumers around the world.

Protein Industries Canada is one of Canada’s five Global Innovation Clusters. Protein Industries Canada and its members are working to embrace the $25 billion opportunity presented by Canada’s ingredient manufacturing, food processing and bio-product sector. Projects such as these add value to, and create new markets for, Canadian crops, generating local jobs and supporting new economic development in locations across Canada. More information can be found at theroadto25billion.ca.

Lupin Platform Inc. (The first commercially grown lupin in North America) is a vertically integrated B2B ingredient producer of a protein- and nutrient-rich plant known as LUPIN. The venture has exclusive control of superior genotypes of lupin within North America that have higher protein content (35-36%) and higher dietary fibre than many other competing pulse crops. The venture has developed value-added production and processing steps for B2B sales of high-protein lupin flours and protein isolates (80-90% protein) for food fortification or keto foods. The company generates revenue by selling B2B ingredients to food producers seeking to deliver next-generation food formulations.