Finnish food-tech company Happy Plant Protein has partnered with German ingredients manufacturer Crespel & Deiters, aiming to bring Happy Plant Protein’s dry extrusion technology to commercial scale.

The partnership will see the technology implemented at Crespel & Deiters’ manufacturing site in Helmond, the Netherlands.

It represents the first commercial-scale implementation of Happy Plant Protein’s technology by a major, established European ingredient manufacturer.

The patented, one-step dry extrusion technology is designed to enable the production of textured vegetable proteins (TVP) from locally grown crops. It reduces processing complexity, while preserving valuable raw material components.

The process is dry fractionation via extrusion, an alternative to conventional air classification. In a single process step, the flour is separated into protein and starch fractions and functionalised at the same time. What typically requires several stages is enabled in just one, with no protein isolates, chemicals or water-intensive processes needed.

For Crespel & Deiters, the collaboration forms part of a broader expansion beyond its traditional wheat focus as the company moves to refine a wider range of plant-based raw materials.

The companies are currently working with several legumes, including peas and faba beans, at commercial scale. The application is well-suited to fava beans, which Crespel & Deiters has newly added to its raw material portfolio.

According to Happy Plant Protein, the ingredients produced using its technology offer a better taste and aroma, helping to reduce bitterness and beany off-notes often associated with legume proteins.

The goal is to adapt them in terms of texture, hydration behaviour and functionality to suit meat analogues, hybrid products, ready meals, snacks and other food applications. Production at the Helmond site will serve European manufacturers seeking high-quality, regionally sourced plant protein ingredients.

Jari Karlsson, CEO and co-founder of Happy Plant Protein, said: “This collaboration demonstrates that major ingredient manufacturers are looking for new ways to bring plant proteins to market more efficiently. For us, it validates both the technology and the growing demand for plant-based ingredient solutions in Europe.”

Philipp Deiters, CSO of Food at Crespel & Deiters, commented: “We are adopting Happy Plant Protein’s dry extrusion because it offers a modern, responsible and cost-efficient way to manufacture ingredients. At our Helmond site, we are scaling the technology with our extrusion expertise to produce functional, neutral-tasting TVP from European-grown legumes – faster, more sustainably and closer to our customers’ needs.”