User:Noraht/Burcon NutraScience

Burcon NutraScience Corp. is one Canada based research and development company with breakthrough technologies of plant protein extraction from canola meals and soy seeds.

With an ever-expanding universe of products in the plant protein segment of the protein market, which boasts an unprecedented rate of double digit growth annually, it’s truly rare to find a plant protein product that is nutritious and inexpensive while still tasty. Burcon NutraScience Corp., has developed two new protein extraction technologies that enable their plant proteins to meet all of that criteria – and perhaps play a significant role in the future in the growth of functional foods.

Turning Canola Meal Waste into Canola Protein

Canola oil, which has garnered much attention in recent years as a result of the FDA allowing functional health claims to be used in connection with it, has seen significant growth in its use among food companies. Burcon’s patented extraction technology focuses on a different part of canola – the canola meal that is the by-product of the crushing process. Scientists at Burcon’s lab in Winnipeg have developed a unique salt and water process that extracts and purifies the canola protein, and have developed two proteins for use in foods and beverages:  “Puratein®” for baking and solid food use and “Supertein™” for beverages. They mark the first time that canola proteins can be utilized as food ingredients, and open up potentially a tremendous market for non-animal based proteins as ingredients in every day foods and beverages. Archer Daniels Midland, recognized as the world’s largest producer of canola meal, has been working with Burcon for the past several years in helping to bring these canola proteins to the marketplace.

But Burcon hasn’t stopped with canola.

Soy Protein Without Beany Taste for Acidic Drinks – A First in the Industry

Burcon has also developed what may be the very first in the industry – a protein isolate from soy that is 100% soluble and transparent in acidic solutions with no “beany” aftertaste so often associated with soy products. With CLARISOY™ Burcon is able to target the beverage industry which is seeing good growth in those areas where beverages have an added benefit such as proteins. Because of its unique properties, CLARISOY™ can be added to juices, energy drinks, and sports nutrition beverages to provide the benefits of soy protein without the usual beany taste that is so often associated with soy. As a result, with CLARISOY™ these products taste truly delicious and stand out in terms of flavor characteristics.

Each of Burcon’s protein isolates can be used in a variety of food, beverage and nutritional applications while remaining price competitive with other protein products. They are literally the next generation plant protein ingredients with great potential in the functional foods market.