Food and beverage manufacturers looking to meet consumer demand for great-tasting, label-friendly ingredients may have new options in the near future. Cargill and Renmatix have signed a joint development agreement (JDA) to explore a novel approach for making functional food ingredients from unused plant materials.

“Renmatix’s Plantrose Process, which uses only water, heat and pressure, supports our commitment to help customers deliver food and beverage products that are label-friendly, sustainable and cost-effective,” said Bruce McGoogan, Cargill strategy and business development leader. “The fact that this simple process can economically and efficiently deconstruct plant materials and convert them into functional food ingredients is a solution we’re excited to explore in order to help us feed the world.”

The two companies will use Renmatix’s Plantrose Process, which is a proprietary, water-based technology, and Cargill’s preferred feedstocks to make highly functional food ingredients. As part of the JDA, Cargill will also contribute its deep food applications expertise and market access to better understand the technical and commercial potential of these new ingredients. The process will be tested at Renmatix’s facility in Kennesaw, Ga. Cargill plans to market test the materials with Cargill customers globally.

“The food industry is increasingly turning to plant-based ingredients to deliver a wide variety of benefits, including great taste, functionality and label-friendly appeal. Upcycling, the process of transforming unused feedstocks into new, higher-value materials, is the next step in creating a more sustainable value chain and generating exciting new product benefits,” said Renmatix CEO Mike Hamilton. “We look forward to working with an industry leader like Cargill to develop new materials that bring these benefits to more food producers.”

Renmatix introduced Nouravant (maple fiber) this summer to the food industry and is seeing growing interest in the emulsification and freshness extending benefits of this ingredient.