Six-figure funding boost announced for sustainable plant-based ‘Cheese from Peas’

Alternative protein research exploring using peas to make sustainable plant-based cheese has received funding from Innovate UK to develop commercial processes for new products.

‘Cheese from Peas’ is a new product being developed by researchers from the University of Nottingham and spin-out company The Good Pulse Company who are developing techniques to turn yellow peas grown in the UK into a sustainable plant-based cheese.

This latest funding of over £300k from Innovate UK adds to over £370k in investment from UK’s leading scientific research organisation Rothamsted Research through their programme SHAKE Climate Change, and from leading food technology venture capital investors Big Idea Ventures.

The grant has allowed the company to hire researchers from the university and also bring further expertise from other academics working on adjacent research areas.

Dr Vincenzo di Bari, Assistant Professor in Food Structure and Processing at the University of Nottingham, has been leading research that is looking for ways to develop a new generation of functional, minimally processed ingredients from legumes for applications such as plant-based cheese that is healthier and higher in proteins than existing cheese alternatives in the market.

Dr di Bari explained: “We are focused on creating a product that is tasty, has excellent nutritional value and that is also sustainable. From research we previously carried out we have identified yellow peas as an ideal ingredient to achieve this because of its composition and availability in the UK.

“This is a key step towards our goal to deliver healthy products manufactured using sustainable UK grown crops. We are now focused on developing technologies to be able to process the peas at a commercial level with minimal processing or extra ingredients.”

Yellow peas are a niche crop in the UK and are traditionally used for soups, stews and casseroles. They contain high-quality protein and are a good source of iron. Pea protein also contains essential amino acids that your body cannot create and must get from food.

The Good Pulse Company has already developed over 100 prototypes of plant-based cheese made from pulses using their proprietary technology and processes, as well as processes for making naturally gluten-free baked goods from pulses that are high in proteins and great in taste.

In addition to the successful funding, the company is now part of the prestigious EIT Food Seedbed programme and has also achieved key strategic milestones such as securing a major collaboration agreement with one of the largest dairy cheese companies in Europe to co-develop prototypes of cheese using their functional ingredients from pulses.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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