ADM recently struck a global licensing deal with Burcon NutraScience Corporation to produce, distribute and sell Clarisoy - which was developed by Burcon - and plans to manufacture it at its soy protein manufacturing facility in Decatur, Illinois.
While Clarisoy has been available for testing for some time (Burcon has been producing it at its Winnipeg laboratory for sampling purposes since 2009), ADM has not yet disclosed when commercial quantities will become available.
“ADM is aggressively pursuing the commercialization of Clarisoy 100, the first product to launch in the Clarisoy line. While production details are still being finalized, the entire Clarisoy line will be manufactured at Decatur,” said a spokeswoman.
They ‘couldn’t even tell there was soy in the drink’
The near-transparent protein was showcased by ADM in an orange/mango juice drink at the IFT expo in New Orleans earlier this month, with customers impressed by the “clean flavor, lower viscosity and smooth mouth feel of the beverage”, she claimed.
“We were repeatedly told that it just tasted like juice and they couldn’t even tell there was soy in the drink.”
It was too early to talk about price, she said: “We have not determined pricing yet; our focus now is on building the plant and working with our key customers.”
However, as whey protein prices had recently gone through the roof, Clarisoy would offer a more cost-effective alternative, predicted Britton Walker, director of sales: “This is a really timely launch.”
Kellogg ‘ahead of the curve’ on K20 RTD protein water
While Kellogg’s ready-to-drink (RTD) protein water K20 (with whey protein isolate) had not taken the market by storm (although it still sells a Special K20 Water Mix with protein and fiber), there was still potential for RTD protein drinks in future, predicted Walker. “It will come. I think Kellogg was ahead of the curve on this one.”
For drinks with a pH of less than 4, Clarisoy 100 was heat-stable, 100% soluble and transparent, with no off flavors or odors and no ‘beany’ taste sometimes associated with soy, making it ideal for sports nutrition beverages, fruit and fruit-flavored juices, powdered beverage mixes and fortified waters, he said.
“What’s unique about Clarisoy is that you can use it in acidic beverages. Usually, if you put soy in a low pH drink, it will start to precipitate and you have to try and keep it in a suspension. This is not an issue with Clarisoy”
There were also opportunities to combine Clarisoy with fiber to make products on a satiety platform, he said.
The 20-year license agreement with Burcon gives ADM exclusive rights to sell Clarisoy across all markets and in all potential product applications. Under the deal, ADM will pay Burcon a quarterly percentage of net revenues as royalties.