The addition of soy in acidic beverages has traditionally been limited by the poor solubility of the protein ingredients where insoluble protein particles prevent the production of a transparent beverage, a spokesperson for Burcon told BeverageDaily.com.
“Clarisoy is a next generation soy protein isolate which offers all the benefits of soy protein incorporation but with minimal impact on the properties of the beverage to which it is added,” he said.
In addition to its solubility, the soy protein is completely transparent, exhibits low viscosity in acidic solutions and is also void of the characteristic "beany" taste of traditional soy, claims the research and development company.
Burcon said Clarisoy protein beverages prepared in this pH range are also heat stable, allowing thermal processing such as hot fill without any loss of clarity or notable change in viscosity.
“We anticipate that the juice and clear sports drink category geared towards health and wellness will generate the most demand for our protein ingredient,” said the spokesperson.
License agreement
ADM entered into a license agreement with Burcon to give it exclusive rights to market and sell the Clarisoy soy protein globally.
The ingredients giant will make royalty payments to Burcon on the sales of the protein under the twenty-year license agreement.
Burcon said the deal marks an important development for the company as the commercialisation of Clarisoy provides the company with its first earnings stream.
The ingredient is expected to be available beyond North America to include Asia, South and Central America and Europe including Eastern Europe and Africa, said Burcon.
Growing demand
According to Burcon, with prices of animal, dairy products and by-products at near all-time highs, Clarisoy, as a plant based protein, is expected to be a competitive alternative for food and beverage manufacturers.
“The inherent sustainability of plant proteins is also expected to be a major point of appeal to manufacturers,” said the spokesperson.
He said there is a growing demand for protein ingredients. “Athletes including casual athletes and the aging population all require sufficient protein from their diets to maintain a healthy lifestyle and beverages serve as a convenient vehicle to deliver protein nutrients to the mass market,” he said.