18 Jan 2018 --- With the rapid rise in consumer demand for plant-based protein, PURIS, the largest North American producer of pea protein, and Cargill have signed a joint venture agreement to accelerate a new wave of “great tasting, sustainable and label-friendly plant-based foods.” The joint venture is closed as of Tuesday (January 16, 2018). Cargill is a minority investor in PURIS’s pea protein business, with Cargill financially backing PURIS for growth into the future.