Suiker Unie will produce protein from leaves

Suiker Unie officially took its Green Protein Demo Plant into use on 10 October. It started producing protein from beet leaves. This is done using a unique, pioneering method, the exclusive licence of which has been obtained. The first 100 kg of product will be available this year.

Vegetable protein sources are indispensable in order to provide the growing world population with sufficient proteins in the future. With this demo plant, Suiker Unie is taking an important step towards contributing to this protein transition.

Green leaves from plants contain 1% to 3% protein. Thanks to a new extraction process, developed and patented by TNO, it is possible to extract that protein. Royal Cosun - Suiker Unie's parent company - has an exclusive licence to use the patent.

In the demo plant, Green Protein will extract that protein from beet leaves - and later also from leaves of other crops. Each hectare of beet crop produces 20 to 30 tonnes of beet leaf. From this, 180 to 280 kg of high-quality protein can be extracted. "A dark green juice is extracted from the leaf, which we refine and dry in a few steps into a colourless, tasteless and odourless protein powder," says Paulus Kosters, senior programme manager for proteins at Cosun. "The food industry can use this functional vegetable protein in many products. For example, in meat substitutes, (foam) cakes, drinks, sauces and desserts. After this demo plant, we aim to have the first large-scale production line up and running by 2022."