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A new £1m project aims to reduce the UK’s dependence on imported soya by producing a new alternative protein with ‘flavourless’ peas.

Soya beans can not be grown at scale in the British climate, and soya production contributes to deforestation in South America. With this in mind, the new project aims to help replace soya with UK protein crops and produce a soya alternative sustainably, while still meeting market demand for taste and functionality.

Germinal Horizon, the Research and Innovation division at UK agricultural grass and forage seed company Germinal, is spearheading the project in collaboration with research organisations the John Innes Centre (JIC), IBERS and PGRO. Funding is also coming partly from Defra and the Farming Innovation Pathways via Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Managing director at Germinal UK Paul Billings said that finding a sustainable soya alternative is a priority for the food industry, commenting: “Protein crops such as peas are ideal for the UK climate but one of our challenges is their flavour profile in human food.

“Pea flavours are undesirable for consumers in processed food, so the goal is to produce peas that are tasteless but retain nutritional value. The gene for flavourless peas was first identified in the 1990s by scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich.”

Peas offer a rich protein source and boost soil health through fixing free nitrogen from the air and leaving a supply for the next crop. This can help British farmers cut back on their use of nitrogen fertiliser, Germinal said.

The company confirmed it will ensure robust testing at the farm level so that only the varieties that meet market demands and the agronomic requirements of farmers will be commercially progressed. It described the project as a positive step forward in the drive to find tailored solutions for the food industry that consider both the climate and consumer.

#InnovateUK #JohnInnesCentre #peaprotein #Germinal #alternativeprotein

Pea protein project to reduce soya imports

The Plant Base

1 June 2023

Pea protein project to reduce soya imports

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