Sustainable ingredient technology lessens use of artificial ingredients and strengthens Kemin position in global meat processing industry.
Kemin Industries has announced the acquisition of Proteus Industries, a food technology and ingredient company that created and developed novel clean label protein ingredients and applications to improve yield, nutrition and quality in a variety of meat and poultry and protein-based applications. This acquisition adds sustainable clean label yield enhancement technology to the global Kemin Food Technologies portfolio of ingredient solutions.
Following the acquisition, Kemin will rebrand the ingredient technology as Proteus, which is now available Kemin customers in the US to help commercial food processors improve retention of moisture and texture without reliance on artificial ingredients. This provides manufacturers the opportunity to meet the label claims and product attributes consumer desire, while reducing input costs and achieving greater yields.
Giuseppe Abrate, group president for Kemin Food and Human Nutrition, commented: “This acquisition is timely, as this technology allows us to provide the industry with additional product offerings and expanded production capabilities. It is also a game changer, as it enables us to achieve the Kemin mission to sustainably transform the quality of life for consumers.
“This is critical as the growing world population continues to increase the demand on our food supplies. Consumers are also demanding improved nutrition and cleaner label ingredients. One of the larger challenges facing the industry today is how to meet the rising demand for protein, better nutrition and cleaner labels, without negatively impacting cost or quality.”
Furthermore, the acquisition adds several new technologies to the existing Kemin portfolio of ingredient solutions in the US, including:
- Clean label phosphate alternative to meet consumer demand while also increasing yield and water-holding capacity
- Meat block replacement used in conjunction with phosphate, for additional yield and water retention while meeting USDA formulation regulations
- Fat block for fried foods forming a protein crust around items that inhibits frying oil from being absorbed into breading
Bill Fielding, former CEO for Proteus, now general manager within Kemin Food Technologies, added: “By providing sustainably sourced, functional, muscle-based protein ingredients in various forms for easier application and great industry reach, we can help processors more naturally retain moisture and protein typically lost in process. This means we can accomplish so much – protecting margins with cleaner ingredients, while enhancing quality and nutrition, as well as improving the way the world eats.”
