Nestlé teams up with Burcon and Merit to develop “next generation” plant-based products

24 Jan 2020 --- Nestlé is collaborating with Burcon and Merit, two key players in the development and production of high-quality plant proteins. This partnership further accelerates Nestlé’s development of nutritious plant-based meat and dairy alternatives with a favorable environmental footprint as part of the Swiss giant’s sharpened strategy toward high-growth categories and changing market conditions.

The partnership combines Nestlé’s expertise in the development, production and commercialization of plant-based foods and beverages with Burcon’s proprietary plant protein extraction and purification technology. This is while leveraging Merit’s state-of-the-art plant protein production capabilities.

“Developing nutritious and great-tasting plant-based meat and dairy alternatives requires access to tasty, nutritious and sustainable raw materials as well as proprietary manufacturing technology,” says Stefan Palzer, Nestlé Chief Technology Officer. ”The partnership with Burcon and Merit will give us access to unique expertise and a new range of high-quality ingredients for plant-based food and beverages.”

The joint agreement begins a long-term relationship among the parties covering ongoing innovation and the future supply of Burcon and Merit’s novel plant-based proteins from the commercial-scale production facility, which Merit is currently building.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Nestlé to customize our already exciting novel plant-based proteins,” says Johann F. Tergesen, Burcon’s President and CEO. “This collaboration among Burcon, Nestlé and Merit is about strategic innovation to deliver unique, sustainable, and highly nutritious plant-based products.”

“Partnering with Nestlé is a major milestone for Merit Functional Foods,” Merit Co-CEO Ryan Bracken adds. “Merit has already demonstrated the value of our novel proteins in plant-based foods. This new partnership helps build on this, and it’s a major step in developing the next generation of nutritious and delicious plant-based products that draw on the benefits of our novel proteins.”

Globally, Nestlé has around 300 R&D scientists, engineers and product developers located in eight R&D centers that are dedicated to the research and development of plant-based products. To complement its internal capabilities, the company also strategically collaborates with researchers, suppliers, start-ups and various other innovation partners.

Nestlé’s plant-based product range includes pea, soy- and wheat-based burger patties, sausages, mince meat, chicken filets and various prepared dishes. The company also has developed pea and oat-based dairy alternatives, almond-, coconut- and oat-based creamers, plant-based coffee mixes as well as a range of non-dairy ice creams. 

This partnership closely follows Nestlé unveiling its vegan sausages in Europe and US last week. It also recently announced plans to launch vegan alternatives to cheese and bacon, designed to complement its existing plant-based burger patties.

Last November, Nestlé entered into a partnership with Corbion to develop the next generation of microalgae-based ingredients. Microalgae ingredients have several advantages, as they are a vegan source of protein, healthy lipids and various micronutrients. In addition, the production of microalgae has a low carbon, land and water footprint. 

Burcon Nutrascience is a global technology leader with a portfolio of patents related to composition, application, and manufacturing of novel plant-based proteins derived from pea, canola, soy, hemp, sunflower seeds and various other crops.

Established in 2019, Merit Functional Foods provides high-quality protein ingredients and blends that are touted for their purity, taste and solubility.

By Gaynor Selby