Meat production is very energy and water intensive. Alternative, more sustainable proteins may help to reduce pressure on natural resources in the future. In this article Cecilia Wittbjer of Parabel describes a new source of plant protein from water lentils.
The water lentil
(Lemna sp. from the family Lemnoideae) is considered to be the world’s smallest flowering plant. It consists mainly of leaf protein and has been eaten whole for hundreds of years in different parts of the world. Recently a breakthrough discovery in methods for extracting plant protein from aquafarmed water lentils by the US company, Parabel, has created the opportunity to commercialise a new plant protein. The protein concentrate, known as LENTEIN, won the IFT Food Expo Innovation Award this year and is finding application in nutritional and functional foods as well as animal feed.
The company has identified optimal growing conditions for the water lentil, which allow it to double its biomass in 24 hours. This means that the crop can be harvested daily and the yield per acre is many times higher than GM Soy. The system is designed to be modular to allow for flexible and rapid implementation. An aquafarm can be scaled to fit each site. The technology can produce biomass on a very large scale at consistent rates all year round (Figure 1).
Production process
The water lentils are sourced locally to the growing operation. Indigenous plants are already adapted to live in a specific location. They are grown with a minimal amount of nutrients, no pesticides and no chmicals. The crop floats on top of the water so harvesting is easy compared to, for example, micro algae. After harvesting, the water lentils are cleaned, washed, rinsed and drained. Then the cells are lysed to release their nutritional components. The protein rich juice is separated mechanically from the high fibre pulp, purified using a proprietary, patented technology and then dried to produce LENTEIN. Extraction of protein with various densities can be achieved and a cold water extraction process retains all the nutrients in the protein and also its functionality.
Properties
LENTEIN is a fresh green powder that has a higher level of essential amino acids and branched chain amino acids than other plant proteins, such as soy or pea. It has a unique plant amino acid profile and the protein has a Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Scoring (PDCAAS) of 0.93. It contains a range of nutrients (see table) and is soy-, lactose- and gluten-free. The dispersibility is 54% NDA and the solubility is 57% NSI (Nitrogen Solubility Index), which is favourable when formulating a protein shake. The foaming quality also gives a good mouth feel to the protein drink.
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Hydroponic Crop Growth Area
Products
The food industry has been conducting trials and formulating products with this new ingredient. There has been considerable interest from the sports supplement sector and snack brands. For some applications a de-greened version of the protein concentrate, which is under development, is more appropriate. LENTEIN has successfully been formulated into smoothies and drinks, but it also works for dry mix goods, such as chips and crackers. Nutrition bars is another application that could deliver not only protein but also other macro and micro nutrients.
Sustainability
The process recycles 98% of the water and there is no leakage of nutrients into nearby areas. There is no need for arable land and the aquafarm can transform marginal, non-arable land into productive areas. There is no conflict with other crops and the system is said to be carbon neutral. Aquafarms are normally located around the equator for optimal growing conditions. Parabel works closely with local governments interested in providing work opportunities and infrastructure for low income areas. The farms have been commercially
validated in Asia, Africa and North and South America.
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Commercial scale
The first commercial plant is being built in Florida. The facility will eventually produce around 3,000 tonnes per year starting with 500 tonnes of protein in the first year. Additional locations have already been identified in South America and East Africa. The systems can be replicated quickly to satisfy consumer demand as the crop can be harvested only 3 weeks from initial seeding. Demands up to 200,000 tonnes per year are anticipated. The first commercial material will be available in the second quarter of 2016 and food manufacturers are hoping to include LENTEIN in their applications in the same year. The food and feed industries are always ready to evaluate alternative protein sources and the water lentil is providing an interesting, new ingredient to add to products as a protein and nutrient fortifier or to substitute for current ingredients.
