The plant-based ingredient producer Roquette has launched a new ingredient, NUTRALYS Pea 850F, a pea protein isolate that is designed to "unlock superior sensory performance in plant-based formulations."
The new addition expands the company's NUTRALYS portfolio.
The company stated that NUTRALYS Pea 850F was developed to tackle common formulation challenges, particularly taste, allowing food and beverage manufacturers to create plant-based alternatives with cleaner and more neutral flavour profiles.
Why this matters
With consumer demand for high-protein products accelerating and pea protein becoming a popular choice for plant-based products, Roquette says that brands and formulators are facing growing pressure to deliver plant-based alternatives that match conventional products in taste.
Historically, taste has been a challenge that has required extensive use of flavouring systems as masking agents.
Pea protein has become the preferred option for formulators looking to innovate in the plant-based industry. This is due to its strong nutritional profile, regional sourcing availability and competitive pricing.
However, the ingredient has been plagued by its characteristic taste, posing a challenge for formulators and requiring manufacturers to invest in complex masking strategies that can compromise clean-label positioning.
Roquette says it has developed NUTRALYS Pea 850F to deliver the full nutritional benefits of pea protein while significantly reducing vegetal or pea notes.
According to the company, expert sensory panel analysis confirms the ingredient's more neutral, smoother taste profile, enabling formulators to develop higher-protein products without sacrificing flavour quality.
Importantly, this improved sensory performance is achieved by directly addressing pea protein's taste issues, without the need for additional ingredients or processing aids.
Products made with NUTRALYS Pea 850F can therefore be labelled simply as 'pea protein' or 'pea protein isolate,' making reformulation requirements easier for consumers.
Roquette also stated that NUTRALYS Pea 850F delivers functional performance comparable to the company's established NUTRALYS S85F benchmark, while offering enhanced sensory characteristics.
The new ingredient provides high emulsion capacity for stable formulations, moderate gelling and viscosity and excellent solubility, making it particularly well-suited for ready-to-mix and ready-to-drink applications. Its versatility extends across dairy alternatives, beverages and specialised nutrition categories.
This combination of technical functionality and sensory performance enables formulators to tap into emerging market opportunities, including high-protein products designed for GLP-1 users.
This rapidly expanding segment has driven 29% growth in food and beverage launches featuring protein and weight-management claims in 2024/2025, compared to the previous year.
"Pea protein provides excellent nutrition and functionality in plant-based and high-protein foods and beverages, but sensory performance has remained a critical barrier to wider adoption," said Benjamin Voiry, Global Protein Product Marketing at Roquette.
Consumers understandably want the protein hit without the overpowering vegetal taste. With NUTRALYS Pea 850F, we have tackled the problem at the ingredient level, rather than just masking it.
"This is an important milestone for manufacturers, giving them the freedom to create products that consumers genuinely enjoy, with cleaner formulations and simplified labels."
"From a formulation standpoint, reducing off-notes at source makes an immediate difference," added Adeline Morcet, Application Scientist at Roquette.
It allows producers to focus on texture, nutrition and the overall product experience rather than compensating for flavour challenges. That efficiency can significantly shorten development timelines—creating plant-based products that stand out for the right reasons.