Prolupin GmbH

The idea of using suitable fractionation processes to produce new ingredients from lupins for industrial food production was researched for more than 10 years at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV). In 2010, employees of the research institute spun off Prolupin GmbH and began building a plant for processing and extracting lupin seeds and modifying protein isolates. The know-how of the shareholders involved in the company and the patent protection ensured Prolupin a high degree of unique position from the very beginning, combined with a high barrier to entry for competitors.

An essential first step was the development of a source of revenue that made the project financially viable. Initial orders for the lupine ice cream "LUPINESSE" by EDEKA Südbayern and other retailers as early as May 2011 showed that Prolupin was right with its business idea. The example of lupine ice cream impressively demonstrates the advantages of the seamless processing technology of blue sweet lupines. Instead of the milk components milk protein and lactose, the lupine ice cream contains lupine protein isolates (LPI) in combination with high-quality vegetable fat. These products can offer the full enjoyment value to people with a lactose intolerance or a milk allergy, for example. In addition, they are GMO-free and free of cholesterol and gluten.

It is not always self-evident that a business model actually works in practice. Since 2010, a research consortium of 10 industrial partners and 3 research institutes has been investigating the use of lupin ingredients in confectionery and delicatessen products as well as sausages as part of the BMBF's "Unternehmen Region" funding initiative. Ingredients made from lupins can not only replace milk protein, as in lupin ice cream, they are also suitable for replacing other animal proteins such as egg, fat or meat. This puts Prolupin in a position to supply interested food manufacturers with lupin proteins and lupin dietary fibers in parallel with the marketing of its own MADE WITH LUVE portfolio. With the start-up of the new facility in Grimmen, Prolupin can safely grow in different markets.