Roquette launches pea protein isolate for neutral taste and label simplicity

ROQUETTE has introduced a pea protein isolate for advanced sensory performance in plant-based F&B. The new ingredient addresses common formulation challenges, enabling manufacturers to create plant-based alternatives with cleaner, more neutral taste profiles.

Pea 850F is the latest addition to Roquette’s Nutralys portfolio, responding to accelerating consumer demand for high-protein products. The Innova Trends Survey 2026 found that three in five consumers worldwide say they are actively increasing their protein intake. The market researcher identified “Powerhouse Protein” as this year’s top industry trend.

Brands face challenges maintaining taste and texture when formulating more nutritious, plant-based alternatives. Pea protein has emerged as a preferred choice for plant-based innovation due to its strong nutritional profile, regional sourcing availability, and competitive pricing, but its characteristic taste can be a formulation barrier, requiring manufacturers to invest in complex masking strategies, which can compromise clean label positioning.

“Consumers understandably want the protein hit without the overpowering vegetal taste,” says Benjamin Voiry, global protein product marketing at Roquette. “With Nutralys Pea 850F, we have tackled the problem at the ingredient level, rather than just masking it. This is an important milestone for manufacturers, giving them the freedom to create products that consumers genuinely enjoy, with cleaner formulations and simplified labels.”

Roquette says Pea 850F delivers the full nutritional benefits of pea protein while significantly reducing vegetal or pea notes, with an expert sensory panel confirming the ingredient’s more neutral, smoother taste profile.

This improved sensory performance is achieved by directly addressing pea protein’s taste issues, without the need for additional ingredients or processing aids, meaning products formulated with Pea 850F can be labeled as “pea protein” or “pea protein isolate.”Nutralys Pea 850F is particularly well-suited for ready-to-mix and ready-to-drink beverages.

Formulation flexibility & GLP-1

The company says Pea 850F delivers a functional performance comparable to its established Nutralys S85F benchmark, while offering enhanced sensory characteristics. The new ingredient provides high emulsion capacity for stable formulations, moderate gelling and viscosity, and “excellent” solubility, making it particularly well-suited for ready-to-mix and ready-to-drink applications. Its versatility extends across dairy alternatives, beverages, and specialized nutrition categories.

This combination of technical functionality and sensory performance enables formulators to tap into emerging market opportunities, including high-protein products designed for GLP-1 users. According to Innova, this expanding segment helped drive a 29% increase in F&B launches featuring protein and weight-management claims in 2024/2025, compared to the previous year.

“From a formulation standpoint, reducing off-notes at source makes an immediate difference,” says Adeline Morcet, application scientist at Roquette. “It allows producers to focus on texture, nutrition, and overall product experience, rather than compensating for flavor challenges. That efficiency can significantly shorten development timelines — creating plant-based products that stand out for the right reasons.”

The Nutralys portfolio also includes wheat and fava beans, supporting a wide variety of uses in plant-based, hybrid, and high-protein foods and beverages.