Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients for food, nutrition and health markets, is announcing the startup of a new production unit dedicated to specialty pea protein at its site in Vic-sur-Aisne (Hauts-de-France, France).
This expansion is part of the €40 million investment plan announced in 2017 and follows a development programme which has been implemented since 2015.
The new unit, which will produce its first shipment in June 2018, will be a dedicated centre to pea protein excellence and will allow Roquette to offer a full range of specialty ingredients to its customers.
The site, which currently has 130 employees and works with a number of local partners, is already a major centre of pea protein production. This move is part of the Group’s drive to develop a high-quality and increasingly environmentally-friendly pea line.
Roquette is committed to sustainable and responsible pea production that encourages the adoption of best farming practices and modern technologies.
The launch of the new unit will strengthen the Group’s offering of NUTRALYS plant-based proteins with the addition of new ingredients specially designed for food products and beverages enriched with protein. They provide a natural solution to the specific requirements of sportspersons, seniors and those following a special diet.
Roquette has more than 40 years’ experience in the research and production of plant-based proteins and is a pioneer in specialty plant-based proteins for the food, nutrition and health markets.
The pea protein market is a highly attractive sector because of its strong market growth which reflects health and well-being consumer trends in an eco-conscious way.
To meet this increasing demand, Roquette will rely on its production facility in Europe (Vic-sur-Aisne, France) and an additional one in North America (Portage-La-Prairie, Canada), currently under construction. By 2020, both plants will have a combined pea processing capacity of close to 250,000 tons per year.
Pascal Leroy, Vice-President of Roquette’s Pea and New Protein business line, commented: “The inauguration of this new dedicated unit for specialty pea proteins represents a major step forward in the implementation of the Roquette Group’s strategy in plant-based proteins.
By offering new high value-added sustainable nutritional and functional solutions, we are extending our global leadership in the specialty plant-based protein market.
"We are also demonstrating our goal of offering products increasingly tailored to demand in Food, Nutrition and Health markets. We are delighted with these major developments in France and Canada that put Roquette at the forefront, enabling it to provide its customers around the world with high-quality plant-based ingredients.”