Following its participation in Bridge2Food North America 2025, Amano Enzyme is back this year as an Insights Leader. What is Amano looking to build on from last year's experience in North America?
Last year we discussed the different enzyme solutions from our portfolio to address the various challenges around plant-based beverages from protein stability to controlling sugar content.
This year, we are addressing the plant-based market further upstream. We’ll take a look at ProBoost™ Neutra, our newest enzyme solution designed for use in the wet fractionation process of protein extraction. Pea protein isolates (PPI) made using ProBoost Neutra in the extraction process has shown up to 3x increase in solubility, increased emulsification and reduced VOCs responsible for beany off notes.
"Cleaner pea processing" is one of the ideas Amano Enzyme will explore in its session on ProBoost™ Neutra. What does a cleaner process look like in practice for pea protein producers?
ProBoost Neutra, enables a reduced chemical approach to PPI processing. Our enzyme-driven application supports protein extraction without protein hydrolysis, while reducing the amount of alkali required during wet fractionation. This cleaner method aligns with growing demand for more naturally positioned plant protein solutions.
From sports nutrition to beverages, pea protein appears in a wide range of products. In North America, where does Amano Enzyme see the greatest potential for new product concepts built on enzyme-enabled pea ingredients?
As ProBoost Neutra is designed to increase solubility and emulsification, the natural fit would be in RTD protein beverages, muscle recovery shakes, meal replacement formulas and nutrition bars. In addition to the increased awareness of the health benefits of protein, the current whey isolate shortage is making PPI look like an attractive alternative. Furthermore, there are abundant sources of pea in North America and Europe, our target markets.
An enzyme used at the processing stage ultimately proves its worth in the finished product. How does Amano Enzyme help carry that value from ingredient producers through to the brands formulating with pea protein?
We understand both the challenges of producing pea protein and the performance required from it in the finished product.
ProBoost Neutra helps ingredient producers manufacture pea protein isolate with improved solubility and emulsification. By building this functionality into the ingredient, it can simplify downstream beverage formulation and processing, helping manufacturers reduce process complexity.
Ultimately, the right solution depends on the complete formulation, the other ingredients, the manufacturing process and the desired product characteristics. We therefore encourage product-development teams to involve us early in the innovation process so that, together, we can identify the most suitable approach for their specific needs.
