To offer better-tasting, more affordable vegan options, Finnish startup Happy Plant Protein has unveiled a textured vegetable protein offering made from fava beans.
Usering in a new era for textured vegetable protein (TVP) – one without off flavours, chemical extraction, and heavy water use – Happy Plant Protein is taking the plunge with fava beans.
At Paris’s Food Ingredients Europe trade show (December 2-4), the Helsinki-based startup has debuted a fava protein texturate that scores high on the nutrition, environment and flavour fronts, thanks to its patented extrusion technology.
“To truly scale the plant-based market, protein needs to taste better, be produced more efficiently, and be easily adaptable to different end-products,” said Jari Karlsson, co-founder and CEO of Happy Plant Protein.
“Our technology makes all three possible: it improves the availability of high-quality plant-based proteins while giving manufacturers the flexibility to design exactly the textures they need.”
How Happy Plant Protein transcends existing processes
Founded in 2024 as a spinout of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Happy Plant Protein is looking to position itself at the centre of the protein boom by solving what it says is one of the biggest gripes of typical plant-based options: their bitter and beany off-flavours.
“Traditional protein isolates require chemical extraction, large amounts of water, and energy-intensive drying, producing wastewater and often leaving off-flavours,” noted Karlsson.
“Happy Plant Protein bypasses this entirely by using a chemical-free dry extrusion process to transform local flours directly into textured protein. This approach strengthens regional protein independence and reduces reliance on imported isolates.”
Its one-step process converts legume flour directly into textured protein using heat and pressure in a dry extrusion, without isolates, chemicals, or waste. It can be integrated into existing manufacturing setups with minimal investment, making it suitable for companies of all sizes.
The tech is highly flexible, as it’s compatible with a wide range of legumes and cereals, and has been tested across multiple extrusion systems and with various raw materials, demonstrating robustness and adaptability, according to the company.
The texture, bite and functionality of its ingredients can be adjusted directly during extrusion, allowing manufacturers to tailor the protein to their specific product requirements, from firm, meat-like structures to softer, more porous formats. So by simplifying the TVP production process, Happy Plant Protein says it can unlock a new wave of plant-based and blended proteins.
Fava bean TVP gains ‘highly positive’ industry feedback
The startup’s fava bean texturate outperforms pea protein on many sensory credentials. It has a neutral flavour and smell, and significantly lower bitterness and beany notes. Plus, the fava bean TVP has a light beige tint and low sodium content, lending itself to a host of applications.
It’s available in minced, granulated, and chunk formats, and can boost the structure and overall composition of vegan meat alternatives, blended proteins, ready meals, snacks, and more.
The fava bean ingredient scores high on the nutrition front, boasting 61g of protein and 9g of fibre per 100g, positioned as a rich source of two macronutrients that have become the centre of food conversations.
According to Happy Plant Protein, the tech has received “highly positive feedback and strong industry validation” from food and ingredient manufacturers, noting that this way of producing easy-to-use, highly adaptable ingredients is garnering increased interest.
The flavour, nutrition and functional benefits are also why Happy Plant protein has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Most Innovative FoodTech Solution category of the FiE Startup Challenge.
“It’s encouraging to see this category recognised since it shows how much our mission matters globally. We aim to make food healthier for both people and the planet,” said Karlsson. “Our long-term vision is to provide the food industry with a protein that enables the production at a fraction of the cost and complexity of existing solutions.”
The potential of fava beans as a clean-label powerhouse has been recognised by plant-based giant Beyond Meat, which recently introduced a minced protein product with a base of fava protein and just three other ingredients.
The post A New Kind of TVP: Finnish Startup Bets on Fava Beans for Cheaper, Tastier Plant Protein appeared first on Green Queen.
This post was originally published on Green Queen.