Plant proteins turn to gold

The self-described “protein geeks” at the Vancouver-based Burcon NutraScience Corp. have had a lot to celebrate lately. On Aug. 30, the company announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had accepted expert opinion on the safety of two of Burcon’s products—the world’s first commercial canola protein isolates. That approval means that Burcon’s isolates—which mimic many of the emulsifying and binding properties of egg and dairy proteins—could ultimately find their way into foods and beverages everywhere.

As far as Burcon president and chief operating officer Johann Tergesen is concerned, the timing could hardly be more perfect. Not only are the two canola protein isolates cheaper than egg and dairy proteins, but they do not add fat or cholesterol to foods.

Another positive, he adds, is the burgeoning middle class in countries such as China, India, Brazil and Russia. “People are going from being poor to suddenly middle class,” says Tergesen. “When they have that newfound wealth, they spend it on food.”

And then, there is the growing number of consumers who are looking for healthier food—higher fibre and protein, lower sodium, fat and glucose. “The beauty of that trend is that consumers are willing to pay a premium price for a product they consider healthy,” he adds.

On top is the whole issue of sustainability. “It’s more environmental and economic to feed the six billion people on this planet with plant protein than animal protein,” says Tergesen.

There are equally exciting prospects for Clarisoy, as well—Burcon’s soy protein isolate. Clarisoy has a big advantage over other soy proteins not only because it is 100 percent soluble (no residue or grit in liquids) but because it has no beany taste—a major detractor of soy products.  Tergesen sees Clarisoy added to any beverage, from Gatorade and enhanced waters to any kind of juice. “This is a huge potential opportunity for us,” he says. Clarisoy can also be used anywhere other soy protein are traditionally used—in snack bars, cereals and so on.

The big news for Burcon is that they are in “heavy negotiations” with the major U.S. protein ingredient companies to partner with Burcon on Clarisoy.

“We’re an R&D company,” says Tergesen, noting the Winnipeg lab where the company’s 13 scientists have worked since the beginning. “We’ve been patenting like crazy. I can produce 100 kilos of our products. But the U.S. is where the big guns are. The smart thing is to partner with the right global entity.”