European Fund for Regional Development Efre

Research and processing into a semi-finished product

Since 2015, intensive research has been conducted in the field of plant proteins and their processing into a semi-finished product.
While All Organic Treasures GmbH has been conducting its research in cooperation with the universities of Furtwangen and Albstadt Sigmaringen as well as with industrial partners, Metzler Käse Molke GmbH also performs targeted product development on site. Over the research period to date, there has been a constant exchange of information between the two project partners as well as meetings for joint trials or tastings of product developments.

One major success is a semi-finished product that was realised in cooperation with industrial partners - a dry extrudate, which is made of 100 % sunflower protein. It can be used by the manufacturers of vegetarian and vegan products as a purely plant-based minced meat substitute and as an alternative to soya. Another variant of the product can be used as a breakfast cereal for a healthy start into the day.
At universities scientific work has been carried out on the purification of sunflower protein. As a result, sunflower protein can be made available to an even wider range of industrial applications.
While most of the research so far has been invested in the plant protein from sunflower, a first study has also looked into pumpkin protein. Based on the results, further work is feasible. Besides sunflower, pumpkin is also a regional plant of the Alpine region.

Together with partners, Metzler Käse Molke GmbH has carried out product developments in which, among others, the above-mentioned dry extrudates were used. These are long-life ready meals such as Bolognese sauce, in which the meat content of the recipe has been replaced 100% by the vegetable alternative. A baking trial also revealed that the use of sunflower protein in bread improves its deep-freeze stability. Even after defrosting the products are significantly fresher and juicier.

Bolognese tasting with sunflower mince
Tasting of bread proteins from All Organic Treasures
Test for the production of sunflower milk

Tasting of vegan product creations:
Bolognese with dry extrudate from sunflower protein.

Tasting of vegan product creations:
Bread made with sunflower protein.

Trials to produce a sunflower drink
in the test kitchen of All Organic Treasures GmbH