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Happy Plant Protein join hands with Crespel & Deiters
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Saturday, 11 July, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Helsinki, Finland & Ibbenbüren, Germany
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Finnish food technology company Happy Plant Protein and German ingredient manufacturer Crespel & Deiters have entered into a collaboration to bring its proprietary dry extrusion technology to commercial scale at its Helmond site, operated by ECP B.V.
The collaboration marks an important milestone in the industrial deployment of its technology, designed to enable the production of textured vegetable proteins (TVP) from locally grown crops. It represents the first commercial-scale implementation of its technology by a major, established European ingredient manufacturer. It forms part of a broader strategic expansion beyond its traditional wheat focus, as the company moves to refine a wider range of plant-based raw materials. The companies are currently working with several legumes, including pea and faba bean, at commercial scale.
The Helmond site has been a pioneer in food extrusion since 1998, housing a technical centre with a laboratory extruder and modern production lines. The facility now incorporates its patented one-step dry extrusion technology, enabling the production of high-quality textured vegetable protein (TVP) from crops grown in Europe. The process reduces processing complexity while preserving valuable raw material components.
The ingredients produced using its technology offer a better taste and aroma, helping to reduce the bitterness and beany off-notes often associated with legume proteins. The goal is to adapt them in terms of texture, hydration behaviour, and functionality to suit meat analogues, hybrid products, ready meals, snacks, and other food applications, making them well suited to the fast-growing hybrid food market. Demand for European-grown protein crops continues to increase as food manufacturers seek alternatives to imported ingredients and highly processed protein ingredients.
Philipp Deiters, CSO Food at Crespel & Deiters, said, “We are adopting Happy Plant Protein’s dry extrusion because it offers a modern, responsible and cost-efficient way to manufacture ingredients. At our Helmond site, we are scaling the technology with our extrusion expertise to produce functional, neutral-tasting TVP from European-grown legumes - faster, more sustainably and closer to our customers’ needs.”
Jari Karlsson, CEO and co-founder, Happy Plant Protein, said, “This collaboration demonstrates that major ingredient manufacturers are looking for new ways to bring plant proteins to market more efficiently. For us, it validates both the technology and the growing demand for plant-based ingredient solutions in Europe.
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