Photos: Prolupin (Lupine crops, Prolupin team, MADE WITH LUVE logo and products)

Prolupin is one of the small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) involved with the PROTEIN2FOOD project. The company has four strategic competencies; isolation of protein and fractions from lupine seeds, developing client specific food ingredients for the food industry, supervising the cultivation of specific varieties of regional lupine and running the branded trade mark MADE WITH LUVE – a company that represents many aspects of the food value chain! Learn more about their role in PROTEIN2FOOD in this short interview.

  1. Tell us a bit about your business and the role you have in relation to the PROTEIN2FOOD project.

Researchers of the Fraunhofer-Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Verpackung (IVV) had the initial idea to extract food ingredients from lupine seeds ten years ago. The extracted fractions were designed to improve properties of food. Later – in 2010 – these researchers established the Prolupin GmbH. They installed a small plant to extract Lupine Protein Isolate (LPI) from lupine seeds and to modify the protein isolates. The shareholder’s know-how and the patents assure a unique position for Prolupin from the start.

For the extraction of Lupine Protein Isolate the protein content in the seeds is one of the essential quality criteria.

      2. How has being part of PROTIEN2FOOD benefitted your business? (knowledge, relationships, employment etc.)

We gained insides on different work-streams regarding plant based protein sources among European partners. Secondly, one of our findings was how to better commercialize our Lupine Boregine under the brand Made with LUVE.

   3.In your opinion, what has been the greatest achievements of PROTEIN2FOOD so far?

Coordination of different project collaborates across Europe, and made them working towards one direction.

  4.Once the project has ended, how will you bring your learnings from PROTEIN2FOOD into your future work?

We will establish a new R&D position where all findings will be condensed. This will enable us to develop even more product applications in the non-dairy sector.