The Pioneer of Plant Protein After Soy Protein—Pea Protein

The current development of the protein product is relatively strong. Snacks whose global use of “protein-rich” and “protein resources” accounted for 22% of the total snacks, and the US market is as high as 40%, and the most notable is the protein products for exercise capacity and endurance. Consumers are more focused on protein products that can help them control weight, increase muscle mass and maintain energy.

At present, animal protein still accounts for a major share of the entire protein market, but plant protein-derived products are more competitive than animal proteins. Many consumers prefer to choose plant-derived proteins. The nutritional value and easily satisfying properties of plant proteins are the main reasons for the rapid development of the its market. The current demand for the vegetable protein market is still soybean protein, and pea protein has become the fastest growing demand of plant-derived proteins. Companies around the world use pea protein to solve technical problems related to flavor and texture issues. The global pea protein market is expected to reach 3.6 billion dollars by 2022.

Comparable to whey protein, pea protein leads the rapid growth of plant protein

The pea protein is made of dried yellow pea, which is a cotyledon seed type legume with a smooth seed coat. Peas are rich in protein, accounting for about 25%. Pea protein contains all essential amino acids in the human body and belongs to the full value protein. Rich in lysine, arginine and branched-chain amino acids, especially high lysine content, it has become the first choice for fitness enthusiasts other than whey protein.

In 2015, a study by Roquette and the University of Burgundy in France showed that pea protein supplements are comparable to whey protein in improving biceps thickness. In this double-blind, random, control study, the researchers enrolled 161 young men randomly assigned to three groups: the whey protein group, the pea protein group, and the placebo group, and each received 12 weeks of resistance training. Participants were required to take protein (whey or peas) or placebo twice daily for a dose of 25 grams. The results showed that whey protein and pea protein showed similar effects for the weakest participants in each group. The researchers believed that the amino acid content of the two is very similar, rather than the similarity of digestion. Therefore, pea protein can replace whey as a basic dietary product.

In the current global ecological environment, it’s important that pea protein has high-quality amino acid composition and its environmentally-friendly production process. In addition, the “allergy-free” and “non-GMO-free” properties of pea protein distinguish it from other products in the global vegetable protein market. With a lot of positive factors, plus the continuous development of technology and function, pea protein is currently in a very promising stage of development. According to data from Global Market Insights, the global pea protein market is expected to grow at a rate of 13.5% per year by 2023.

The international pea protein market is in full swing

Europe was the first region to develop pea protein. Belgium Cosucra completed its food grade pea protein factory in 1990; France Roquette began supplying food grade pea protein in 2005, both of which are aimed at high-end market.

Pea protein is currently mainly used in sports nutrition and dietary supplement of foods and beverages. It has high lysine content and is widely used in the formula of muscle-enhancing protein powder. It is also a plant protein with muscle-enhancing effect, only second to whey protein.

Product Name: Now Pea Protein Supplement

Product Features: Used as protein replacement after exercise. A share of Non-GMO plant isolated protein usually provides 4200mg of amino acids and more than 2000mg of L-arginine, which is easy to mix into beverages.

Product Name: NaturePlus Pea Protein Supplement

Product Features: Increase long-term satiety, resist excessive eating and desire for snacks. It is the main choice for people who want to lose weight and athletes whose weight is strictly limited.

With the deepening of the application research of pea protein, it has been gradually applied to the food field. Most of them serve as alternatives to allergen proteins. In the formulation of gluten-free products, pea protein has the best taste among all the alternative proteins, and is the alternative protein that allergen population are most optimistic about in the market.

Product Name: Ripple plant base dairy

Features: no odor, non-fermented, gluten-free, suitable for allergic people. Compared with similar beverages, its calorie is also reduced by 20%. DHA (source of algae oil) is added. The proportion of unsaturated fatty acids is 1/6, and the sugar content is only 2% of milk, but its protein content is 8 times the almond milk.

Product Name: Pure Food Probiotic Vegetable Protein Powder

Product features: Brown rice protein, organic pea protein, organic cocoa powder, organic carob powder, organic coconut powder, organic stevia leaf powder as raw material, and add probiotics. One contains 20 grams of protein and 1 billion CFU of probiotics.

Product Name: Vegan Pure Chocolate Protein Powder

Product features: Pea protein and brown rice protein as the main raw materials, including vegetable ingredients and 1 billion probiotics, can meet 50% of the body’s recommended daily intake. In addition, the product does not contain soy, gluten, dairy or sugar.

Pea protein, a distinguished product in the future plant-based protein marke

As western consumption habits, westerners use protein as a dietary supplement, while Chinese consumers do not have this habit. Chinese people have a balanced diet. Most people do not need to get more supplements than dinner, or they do not want to get this supplement. Coupled with the Chinese people’s love for soy protein, it also makes pea protein slightly inferior. In China, the earliest use of peas in the industry is mainly the extraction of starch. Pea contains nearly 50% starch, which is the main raw material for traditional Longkou vermicelli and steamed cold noodles, and pea protein can only be a kind of leftover, which is sold as a feed at a low price. However, the situation of pea protein in China is not so pessimistic now. In recent years, more and more people are paying more attention to the fitness in China. More and more people are joining the fitness industry, which makes the demand for protein powder for fitness/growth use increase, while pea is only second to the best protein—whey protein, so domestic protein manufacturers are also optimistic about this market.

In 2008, some manufacturers in China introduced the physical closed-loop separation technology jointly developed with the United States, and some manufacturers have improved the traditional fermentation process. In addition to the stablize production of pea starch, it is to increase the added value and application of pea protein, making it into food-grade. The rapid development of the pea protein market began. Since China began to supply large quantities of products, the market supply of pea protein has increased significantly, attracting attention in relevant industries, and demand has increased sharply with the recognition of the nutritional value and functionality of pea protein by major research institutions in the United States.