Cosucra finalizes investment project for pea protein expansion in the US

20 Jun 2018 --- Cosucra, originally active in sugar production, has undergone a profound transformation over the last twenty years to become a pioneer in the production of healthy ingredients derived from chicory and pea. The company’s most recent investments in its pea factory have been finalized and increased to €35 million (US$40.4 million) in a bid to conquer the US market and suit the needs of the industry. Half of this investment came from bank loans and half from self-financing, according to Cosucra.

Cosucra’s pioneering vision of natural ingredients allows the company to hold a leadership position on its markets, at both industrial and commercial levels, boosted by continuous investments in research and development. Innovation is a significant focus of its strategy and currently allows the producer of natural ingredients to export its products to over 45 countries.

Jacques Crahay, CEO of Cosucra says: “In 2018, with the completion of the industrial expansion project, Cosucra is the only company in its sector able to ensure such large volumes while combining operational excellence and environmental respect.”

“The investment we just made in a new Pisane production unit at our Warcoing site (Belgium) will undoubtedly strengthen our leading position on the pea protein market, while also meeting increasingly strong consumer demand for natural food products, capable of offering real solutions to present and future consumer issues,” he explains. 

“Eating habits have been radically changed in a decade, driven by the consumers’ need to access healthy products whose origin can be traced. Our company has consistently focused on offering new ingredients in answer to this concern, and our success confirms the course followed,” Crahay notes.

“Historically, we have seen emerging brands in the US create new categories and products to address unmet consumer needs. These new product launches are then replicated to other regions,” Frank Truong, General Manager, Cosucra (USA, Canada & Mexico), tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

“Given the strong demand for plant-based nutrition to meet consumers’ demand, there will continue to be R&D and capital investments made in the coming years,” he explains.

North America is the largest market for plant protein, according to Truong.

Truong was appointed in April 2018 as General Manager of Cosucra to further grow business in USA, Canada and Mexico. Truong has extensive global expertise in specialty food and beverage ingredients, having previously worked for Fonterra, Tate & Lyle and AAK.

Developing its production tools
Launched in 2013, the investment project consisted of two phases, the first of which involved the construction of:
• A second refining line for the pea proteins (Pisane, the company’s flagship brand). 
• A third packaging line.
• An extension to the warehouses for raw materials and finished products.

The second phase of investment involved completely replacing the final processing and drying facilities for the proteins. The main piece of equipment is a large capacity automatic dryer. The dryer alone enabled the drying process to be increased to twice the speed while slashing CO2 emissions.

To take advantage of Cosucra’s technological edge in the domain of plant-based proteins and to achieve a production capacity miles ahead of the competition. Cosucra is responding to an urgent market demand with the best production tools around.

By having such an efficient production tool, the company aims to support the plant-based food market, which is seeing strong growth of 8 to 10 percent per annum, and to be in a position to supply their existing customers and new players with quality products at an attractive price. 

Cosucra is striving to establish a new industry standard in the domains of energy efficiency and sanitary quality. This tool is claimed to be the most modern in the world, and is used to supply unprecedented volumes of a quality product. Cosucra is currently the only company in its industry to have at its disposal not just plans or projects, but an industrial tool capable of supplying the market in 2018.

The project will eventually lead to the creation of 40 jobs in Cosucra, half of which to fill skilled blue-collar workers’ profiles.

According to the Belgian Ministry of Employment, a job in the food industry generates 1.9 indirect jobs at suppliers and service providers (temporary jobs included). Therefore, it is estimated that the whole project will create more than 120 new jobs.

Cosucra specializes in processing into food ingredients products resulting from regional and sustainable agriculture. The products it develops meet the needs of food manufacturers for ingredients that are natural, functional and in line with changing consumer habits.

The new facilities were built with the goal of maintaining a balance between increased production volumes, operational efficiency, and compliance with environmental standards.

The project is located a stone’s throw away from the historic Cosucra plant in Warcoing (Belgium). 

With the assistance of some Belgian universities, the company has developed in-house a unique method leading to patents for some product evolutions. Cosucra is one of the few companies to master the cracking of protein pea on an industrial scale.

Research and development
Cosucra is continually investing in the development of new products and food applications. The company has centralized all its research and development activities into a single facility (separate from its production units).

In its research center, Cosucra has a unit dedicated to agricultural research. There, chicory seed variety breeding programs are being developed in cooperation with government agencies. 

Partnership with manufacturers and agri-food brands
More than just an ingredient supplier, Cosucra works alongside its customers for the development or improvement of their applications, taking into account the specificities of the target markets. Cosucra offers expertise in market analysis, research and clinical trials, as well as in managing the legal and nutritional framework specific to the food sector.

Economic and sustainable development
Even though Cosucra has invested over 25 years in the development of natural food ingredients, it has never pursued its economic development strategy at the expense of sustainable development. 

Cosucra has taken into account the following elements in the design of its new Pisane pea protein production line to strengthen its commitment and social responsibility (CSR).
• The whole process is aimed at the rational use of water. 
• Wastewater treatment in the high-tech facility before discharge into the Scheldt river.
• Recovery of all the biogas produced in the wastewater treatment plant to generate green electricity. 
• Currently, biogas recovery saves 2,500 tons of CO2 emissions.
• Once the system is in place for this investment project, the volume of saved CO2 emissions will rise to 10,000 tons.

By Elizabeth Green