KEY INTERVIEW: How Cosucra Rode the Rise of the Vegetable Protein Market

04 May 2015 --- Belgian company Cosucra Groupe Warcoing is no stranger to change and to keeping up with the times. With vegetable protein products and derivatives being a leading trend to look out for in 2015, according to Innova Market Insights' 2015 trends, Pisane was well ahead of the game, when in 1990, it started production of its pea protein Pisane. Product Manager Angelo Buyck talked to FoodIngredientsFirst about how the vegetable protein market has developed.

You could be forgiven for thinking that the vegetable protein market is a new area, recently tapped into by the sports nutrition and vegetarian sectors, but Cosucra, a Belgian company that has its roots firmly set in the extraction of raw materials from vegetable crops, has been extracting both pea protein and chicory dietary fibres “inulin” for over 25 years.

In 1990, it became the pioneer in extracting protein from the yellow pea, Pisum Sativum. The resultant product, branded Pisane, is a product with an excellent nutritional profile, as well as being cholesterol-, gluten-, lactose-, dairy- and GMO-free. It is rich in essential amino acids, in particular leucine, lysine and arginine, which are essential for muscle and bone health and recovery.
 
As well as protein, the humble pea provides two types of fibre and a starch product, but it is Pisane that has brought the most success to Cosucra.
 
“There are three main markets for Pisane at the moment. The most important and also most developed is the sports nutrition industry, where people are interested in muscle building and also recovery, particularly in the wake of endurance sports such as cycling. What has changed recently is the move to a more mainstream consumer, from elite athletes,” says Buyck.
 
“Another huge market is the weight management area. Protein is known for its satiety properties and many consumers worldwide are looking for protein-based products to help them in their weight management quest.
 
“The third area is healthy ageing,” explains Buyck. “This is particularly interesting and growing at a fast rate, due to the importance of protein for healthy bones and muscle maintenance, but also because this group are becoming more educated and interested in looking after themselves as their bodies begin to change.”
 
Buyck highlights the emerging demographic that he calls “Mediors,” those adults over the age of 50 but not yet retired and termed ‘seniors’. “This market is very interesting at the moment. It is also a very important target group as they are reaching the end of their working life and often have a large disposable income. They are often still active and are conscious of nutrition, while having excellent spending power.”
 
Of course protein is a must for healthy aging as our bodies start to change and use energy in a different way. Older people require less energy density in their diet, but more superior nutrition, so foods should be packed with nutrients. Physical signs of aging such as sarcopenia (muscle wasting) and osteoporosis can be influenced by protein intake, particularly a product such as Pisane, which contains the essential amino acids Leucine, Lysine and Arginine, all particularly good for maintaining healthy bones and muscle mass.
 
But what is also particularly interesting about so-called Mediors is their dietary behaviour. According to Buyck, they are not interested in changing their meal habits. “The biggest difference with this group is that they are very comfortable with their existing meal patterns and not ready to eat like seniors quite yet. What they are interested in is between meal applications, so we are seeing more demand for products such as yoghurts, desserts, protein bars, cookies and bread.”
 
With better communication about the benefits of protein-based between meal snacks, Buyck thinks that there is big potential for Pisane in the pre-seniors market.
 
As well as all the free-from status that Pisane brings, the other big issue of the day is also covered: sustainability. Buyck explains how Pisane is a particularly sustainable product, with the cultivation and processing of the product taking place within kilometres of each other on the French/Belgian border.
 
The Pisum Sativum is grown locally in Northern France and it is cultivated later than the normal pea so it stays in the plant longer and becomes a drier, more mature pea that is yellow in colour. There is no need for pesticides and the plant is disease and pest-resistant. The farmers who supply the peas are local and part of local co-operatives that harvest the pea and store it until it is required by Cosucra. The limited water treatment and transport mean it is a very sustainable product. Furthermore, when it is shipped, it goes mostly by boat to Cosucra, further reducing its impact on the environment.
 
The sustainability as well as its status and GM-free and allergen-free makes Pisane a viable competitor to alternative vegetable proteins, particularly soy protein, which is rarely GM-free and often suffers allergic intolerances. This makes it suitable for vegetarians, vegans, those who have intolerances and people interested in the environment.
 
Where Pisane may have previously suffered from taste issues, Buyck is confident that those days are over. “The product suffered from a legumous taste,” he says. “But we have worked hard on that in the R&D department, which has 30 specialists, out of a total workforce of 250. A combination of working with the protein’s natural flavour and adding flavours such as caramel or coffee has led to a good taste profile that is accepted, especially in the weight management area, where taste was not always so important.”
 
Taste is important in the bakery sector, however. Pisane’s newest variant, the B9, is dedicated to bakery products and its water retention properties manage its flavour profile, as well as the texture, to give the end product a longer shelf life. Buyck says this makes a difference for bars, as well as dough, which does not need such a long baking time and remains soft for longer. As the sports nutrition segment grows and moves away from traditional protein shakes and into bars, such an application is valuable. “Sports nutrition is no longer about elite athletes,” says Buyck. “As the trend becomes more mainstream, it has become bigger and covers consumers who just have an active lifestyle. Good quality protein bars with moisture retention and flavour retention is important here.”
 
Geographically, the US still drives the protein product market, says Buyck. “The US has a huge sports nutrition and weight management market and consumers there have long been aware of and educated about the importance of protein products.
 
“European consumers are definitely following this trend,” he explains. “There is room for development here, as well as in Asia, where consumers are not yet familiar with the need for protein in the sports and weight management sectors.”
 
As consumers continue to appreciate the benefits of a sustainable, GM-free, vegan alternative to traditional protein product, Cosucra’s pea protein, long available, is sure to become a serious alternative on the protein stage.

By Kelly Worgan