Unique And Sustainable Solution To Extracting Plant Protein

An Israeli startup has developed a sustainable method of extracting protein from lentils to make gluten-free flour.

Food tech company Gavan makes use of the entire plant with its low-energy, low-chemical process, creating no waste at all. Traditional methods use many chemicals, are energy-heavy and waste most of the plant source.

The company says the same process can also be used with soybeans, chickpeas, algae, and any other plant source to provide protein in a variety of plant-based foods.

Gavan extracts proteins, natural colors, flavor enhancers, egg-white and gluten replacements, and other compounds from plant sources that are then used in plant-based food products. The company’s unique platform uses little-to-no heat, allowing for up to a tenfold reduction in energy consumption.

A pilot of the new process was carried out with lentils. The company extracted a highly-concentrated protein isolate, and other valuable components including complex carbohydrates, fiber, minerals, and fat, which were converted into a nutritious, neutral-flavored, gluten-free flour.

It’s an alternative to traditional plant-source protein extractions, which involve multiple chemical processes and result in lower yields and poorer quality products. Up to 80 per cent of the plant source ends up as waste, which can be costly to dispose of.

“Our new, multistep technological platform enables us to take any plant source, isolate and extricate multiple proteins and other valuable components until the source is fully consumed,” said Itai Cohen, CEO and Co-founder of Gavan.

“No part of the plant is left out. Moreover, the proteins maintain their original form—there is no resulting modification to their physical structure. All of the source’s nutritional and functional qualities are fully preserved.” 

Though plant-based foods are soaring in popularity, incorporating plant proteins and other compounds into these products poses several challenges: incomplete protein sources, a strong taste or smell, less digestibility, and even color challenges (the color of plant proteins can darken in finished products).

The product is still under development, but Gavan expects its products to begin a gradual market rollout in 2023. 

Gavan was founded in 2018, and the company is located in Acre, Israel.