REHOVOT, ISREAL — ChickP Protein, Ltd. announced full commercial production of its 90% chickpea isolate.

The company revved up production capacity to 20 tonnes per day, equating to more than 5,000 tonnes annually of its concentrated, non-GMO, allergen-free chickpea protein isolate. The ingredient was designed to provide protein-infused functionality and a nutritional boost to a variety of food and supplement applications, including dairy alternatives, baked foods and gluten-free foods.

“We have established a modern, BRC certified food facility, where we have applied proprietary technology for the production of high-value, clean label chickpea protein,” said Ron Klein, chief executive officer of ChickP. “We’ve already attracted considerable interest from major food brands, and this month alone welcomed a number of production commitments from several new customers.”

ChickP is partnering with several food companies on specialized proteins to develop the market for plant-based innovations. It recently kicked off a new venture in the United States by sealing a joint market development agreement with Socius Ingredients, Inc. It will leverage the ingredient supplier’s protein application expertise, technical center in Chicago and connections to manufacturers of plant-based products to explore new possibilities for producing chickpea protein-based prototypes.

“ChickP’s offering sets a new standard for pure protein solutions through multiple beneficial attributes, including a dense nutritional profile, neutral flavor and distinguished functional properties,” said Conor Buckley, vice president of Socius. “These render it an excellent candidate for integration into a full spectrum of dairy analogs, including beverages, desserts, creamers, and more. We look forward to working with the ChickP team to bring the organoleptic and nutritional potential of chickpea to our customers.”

ChickP’s added a new vice president of sales and business development, Itay Dana, to lead these activities. He brings more than 15 years of experience in the food and life sciences industries with a focus on plant-based proteins to his new role. Mr. Dana joined ChickP from Equinom Ltd., a computational seed breeding company, where he was vice president of marketing. He also was director of new technologies and market research at Lycored, and head of food innovation at Galam Ltd.  

“The US is fast emerging as a key global player in meat and dairy alternatives,” Mr. Dana said. “This market already is familiar with soy and pea proteins. However, these sources still cannot meet all the desired specifications for the broader spectrum of applications. Food companies are demonstrating an openness to try new plant-sourced protein contenders and the mighty chickpea is now gaining its due recognition and momentum.”