Agri Food Tech News

Helsinki, Finland / Paris, France — 2 December 2025 — Finnish FoodTech company Happy Plant Protein is introducing a new generation of textured vegetable proteins (TVPs) at Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) 2025 in Paris (2–4 December). The company is debuting its first TVP ingredient made from faba beans — one of several crops that can be turned into textured protein using its patented extrusion technology.

At the heart of the company’s platform is a one-step, dry extrusion process that converts ordinary legume and cereal flours directly into textured protein. By stripping out complex intermediate steps, Happy Plant Protein aims to make it easier for manufacturers to produce high-quality, clean-label, protein-rich foods that can be tailored to local crops and regional supply chains.

The technology sits at the intersection of FoodTech, ingredient innovation and resilience. As demand for sustainable protein accelerates, especially in Europe and North America, the Happy Plant Protein (HPP) platform offers a scalable way to link local agriculture with advanced ingredient manufacturing — without relying on imported isolates and energy-intensive processes.

Happy Plant Protein has also been shortlisted as a finalist in the “Most Innovative FoodTech Solution” category of the FiE Startup Challenge, underlining industry recognition for its approach to plant-based protein production.

“It’s encouraging to see this category recognised since it shows how much our mission matters globally. We aim to make food healthier for both people and the planet. Our long-term vision is to provide the food industry with a protein that enables production at a fraction of the cost and complexity of existing solutions,” says Jari Karlsson, CEO and Co-Founder at Happy Plant Protein.

A new generation of textured vegetable protein made differently
Conventional plant-based protein production typically involves multi-step processes: chemical extraction, high water usage, energy-intensive drying and the handling of process wastewater. These methods can also leave behind lingering bitterness and beany notes that are difficult to mask in finished products.

Happy Plant Protein takes a different path. Its patented one-step dry extrusion technology transforms flour directly into textured protein using heat and pressure. There is no need for protein isolates, added chemicals or complex side-stream treatments. The result is a textured ingredient that is easier to integrate, easier to formulate with and simpler to explain on an ingredient label.

The process is designed to be compatible with flours from a wide range of legumes and cereals, making it highly adaptable to different sourcing strategies and regional crop portfolios. The first commercial ingredient showcased at FiE is made from faba beans, but the same platform can be applied to other crops as manufacturers seek new sources of plant protein.

“Traditional protein isolates require chemical extraction, large amounts of water and energy-intensive drying, producing wastewater and often leaving off-flavours. Our approach bypasses this entirely by using a chemical-free dry extrusion process to transform local flours directly into textured protein. This strengthens regional protein independence and reduces reliance on imported isolates,” Karlsson explains.

From “happy accident” to scalable production technology
The origin of the technology is rooted in a lab-scale surprise. During early development work, flour unexpectedly exited the extruder as a fully formed textured protein rather than a loose powder. That moment revealed that, under the right conditions, texture and structure could be created in a single step — without the traditional isolate route.

What started as a “happy accident” has since evolved into a fully engineered, patented process. The system has been successfully tested across multiple extrusion systems and with different raw materials, demonstrating robustness and flexibility. This foundation is now enabling Happy Plant Protein to work with partners on factory-scale projects across Europe.

The technology is designed to run on existing production lines with minimal new investment, lowering the barrier to adoption. For manufacturers, this means they can explore new plant-based and hybrid products without major capital expenditure or disruptive line changes.

Built for plant-based and hybrid foods
By simplifying the TVP production process, the HPP platform supports a new wave of plant-based and hybrid applications. Texture, bite and functionality can be tuned directly during dry extrusion, allowing manufacturers to customise the ingredient for a wide range of categories:

• Firm, meat-like pieces for meat analogues and centre-of-plate products
• Softer, more porous textures for ready meals and sauces
• Formats suitable for snacks, fillings and functional protein boosts
• Hybrid concepts that combine plant and animal proteins for improved nutrition and familiarity

Because the resulting ingredient has a neutral aroma and taste, with significantly reduced bitterness and beany notes compared to many typical legume proteins, formulators have greater freedom to build flavour profiles without aggressive masking. Hydration behaviour and functionality can be fine-tuned as well, helping products perform consistently in consumer kitchens and large-scale foodservice.

Clean-label, cost-efficient and regionally adaptable
Using flour as the starting point creates several advantages for manufacturers and retailers:

• Clean-label positioning – short, recognisable ingredient lists built on local crops
• Cost-efficiency – fewer process steps, no chemical extraction and lower energy and water demands
• Regional sourcing – easier to design supply chains based on local agriculture and existing milling capacity
• Scalability – technology proven on multiple extruders and adaptable to different plant configurations

This combination aligns with the next phase of the European plant-based market, where growth is expected to come from better-tasting products, more transparent labels and hybrid formats that balance familiarity with sustainability.

Early feedback from both ingredient companies and food manufacturers has been highly positive. The ability to design easy-to-use, highly adaptable ingredients is generating strong interest from partners who want to create high-quality, cost-efficient products tailored to their own categories and brands.

About Happy Plant Protein
Happy Plant Protein Oy is a Finnish food technology company focused on solving one of the toughest problems in plant-based innovation: how to deliver great taste, texture and functionality without complex, resource-heavy production. The company’s patented one-step dry extrusion technology converts flour directly into textured protein — with no isolates, chemical extraction or process wastewater.

By enabling clean-label, scalable, locally sourced protein ingredients, Happy Plant Protein supports manufacturers of all sizes in developing tastier, more sustainable plant-based and hybrid foods for global markets.
Learn more: www.happyplantprotein.com