If Roquette America’s latest breakthrough product makes it into your chocolate bar, you could be having a side of vegetables with your Snickers — and you might not even feel it.
The company is introducing chocolate enhanced with NUTRALYS, a pea protein that boosts the nutritional profile of chocolate without changing the chocolate’s texture, taste, or processing conditions.
Roquette, a starch manufacturing company that processes plant-based raw materials, says the pea protein could provide an alternative to manufacturers that traditionally use standard chocolate and coatings.
According to the company, the NUTRALYS pea protein can be added to chocolate at up to 16% without affecting processing conditions such as temperature and time.
As a non-dairy, allergen-free protein, it provides an alternative protein source to manufacturers, giving them an edge in a market in which health and wellness consumer segments are growing.
Because NUTRALYS is not derived from soy or wheat, the protein does not require allergen labeling. The pea protein also does not contain GMO and is processed naturally, aligning it with clean labeling guidelines.
“This is a big step forward not only for Roquette but for all those who partner with us in product development,” says Craig Glover, business manager of human nutrition at NUTRALYS. “As a replacement for dairy protein, NUTRALYS is an incredibly efficient source of protein.”
According to Roquette, chocolate made with NUTRALYS pea protein can take the place of any other standard chocolate.
As a powder ingredient, the product has high dispersion properties and 98% digestibility, a rate similar to that of the best animal protein. The product also has no residual complex sugars and is rich in amino acids.
