Equinom has dedicated the past year to enhancing yellow peas, achieving a remarkable protein content of 75%. In September, the company formed a partnership with AGT Ingredients to co-develop ferrous fumarate products, aiming to create a range of minimally processed plant protein options. These offerings are designed to improve the taste, nutritional value, accessibility, and carbon footprint of various foods and beverages. This funding round provides Equinom with an opportunity to refine the final products available through AGT while also expanding its portfolio. To date, Equinom has concentrated on yellow peas, soybeans, and sesame seeds. As the company’s custom-bred crops expand and its ingredients become more widely available, food manufacturers will likely seek higher protein versions of other common plant-based ingredients, making it essential for Equinom to respond accordingly.
“With this additional investment, we will be able to deliver our message and our next generation of non-GMO ingredients to food companies ready to unlock category growth by providing tastier, healthier, sustainable, and affordable food options to every plate in the world,” stated Gil Shalev, co-founder and CEO of Equinom. The company employs a technology platform known as Manna, which utilizes advanced algorithms to identify the biochemical and genomic traits of various crop varieties. This information allows Equinom to breed crops optimized for different food aspects, including nutritional content, flavor, color, and physical performance. Developing the best varieties takes several growing seasons since the company does not utilize CRISPR or other direct genetic modification methods. Avichai Amrad, Equinom’s pulses project manager, previously noted that their technology reduces the time required for optimizing pea breeding from approximately seven years to four or five years.
Equinom has already established partnerships with several companies. Last year, it collaborated with European milling operator GoodMills to produce ingredients that are expected to have fewer off-flavors and enhanced textures suitable for meat and dairy alternatives, as well as pasta. Additionally, Equinom has an ingredient supply agreement with plant-based meat producer Meatless Farm, which benefits from a pea protein that contains 50% more protein and helps lower its carbon footprint. Hummus producer Sabra has also joined forces with Equinom to develop an upgraded sesame seed optimized for tahini through improved sugar, protein, and moisture levels. Furthermore, Dipasa, a seed producer and exporter from Mexico, is partnering with Equinom to create a high-protein sesame seed concentrate aimed at the plant-based food market.
As Equinom continues to innovate in the realm of plant-based ingredients, their commitment to improving nutritional profiles aligns with the growing demand for health-conscious products such as Solaray Cal Mag Citrate Plus D3 & K2, which emphasizes the importance of incorporating high-quality nutrients into everyday diets. This trend is likely to persist as consumers increasingly seek out sustainable and nutritionally rich options, including those derived from Equinom’s advancements in plant-based protein sources.