Hidden potential: Interview with sales expert Dr. Mathias Aschenbrenner about value chains and side streams in the production of plant proteins

In recent years, we have seen a sharp rise in the global demand for high-quality vegetable protein for use in food production. Experts predict this global growth trend to continue over the coming years and decades. Now more than ever, producers of plant protein are facing diversification and cost pressures. In addition to optimizing the yield and quality of their protein production, another key economic lever is the processing of byproducts. In this interview, Dr. Mathias Aschenbrenner, sales engineer at Flottweg and an expert in process solutions for plant proteins, explains how to use byproducts as efficiently as possible and why efficient value chains are important for plant proteins.

Plant proteins have grown in importance in recent years – what trends do you see emerging?

At the moment, it is clear that the most important criterion for success is creating a good business case for the customer. That’s why it is becoming increasingly important to utilize byproducts and to find new, alternative sources of raw materials. That said, the availability and procurement of raw materials for use in the processing has also taken on greater importance in recent years.

What role do byproducts play in the processing of plant proteins?

To establish a good business case, we need to take a holistic approach to our raw materials. A good example here is the pea. Of the pea’s dry matter, one quarter consists of protein, half of starch, and about 20% of fiber. For many customers, the protein is the main focus. However, it would be an absolute waste of raw materials and make poor business sense to not use the other 75%. The pea fiber and starch can be used in the food sector or in other industries.

How can the starch and fiber be used?

We can separate the starch from the fiber using a centrifugal mesh. The separated fiber can then be mechanically dewatered using a belt press and then fed to the next process, e.g. drying. The separated starch can either be dewatered immediately using a decanter, or can be fed for additional refining with hydrocyclones. During refining, the starch is washed in a multi-stage process. This allows a very high degree of purity to be achieved. Starch is a very versatile product that can be used in a wide variety of products and processes. The required degree of purity depends on the application (as a raw material for fermentation processes, for the food industry, or in technical industries).

Why are alternative raw material sources important?

By alternative raw material sources, we are referring here to plant-based raw materials that were not produced solely for the purpose of protein extraction – as is the case for pea flour – but are already present as waste or byproducts. This group includes press cakes from oil presses or brewer’s grains from breweries. Both products are rich in protein but are currently sold mostly as animal feed due to the lack of alternatives. Since these raw materials are already available in large quantities, it can be very lucrative to extract this protein to generate additional value.

Why is value chain optimization particularly important for plant protein?

In principle, an optimized value chain is the goal for all industrial production, since no customer can afford to waste resources nowadays. In the production of plant protein, our customers’ priorities vary greatly from case to case. That’s why we develop custom-made solutions with our customers right from the start. During the pre-engineering phase, we draft a complete line concept, including mass balance and layout. This ensures that our customers know exactly what they are getting from us. It is not uncommon for us to work with the customer to develop and improve on their original idea, even during the pre-engineering phase.

Why are centrifuges the right technology for utilizing byproducts?

Over the course of its long history, Flottweg has shaped and driven the development of decanter technology with countless innovations and improvements. Today, we offer highly specialized centrifuges for almost all areas of solid/liquid separation. When combined with a properly designed process, Flottweg decanters offer exceptional efficiency and flexibility. Particularly with byproduct streams, it is common to have fluctuations in composition and quantity. Our smart separation solutions adapt to these conditions and ensure stable processes even under adverse conditions. After all, value creation is good only if it can be achieved consistently.

What role does Flottweg play in this?

Flottweg decanter centrifuges, and especially Flottweg’s Sedicanter^®, are used in almost all steps of the protein extraction process, as well as in the associated processing of byproducts. In the plant protein sector, Flottweg offers both complete system solutions and individual units, depending on customer requirements. With the help of the Flottweg system solutions, maximum yields of top-quality vegetable protein can be extracted efficiently and without wasting resources – and this is especially true for byproducts. We offer our customers everything from a single source – from the initial idea, to execution of the project, all the way to after-sales service.

More information about Flottwegs centrifuges for the extraction of plant proteins can be found here. If you would like to get more information regarding the extraction of plant proteins, use our contact form.