New production facility to open in response to growing demand for meat alternatives
BENEO, one of the leading manufacturers of functional ingredients, has invested 4.3 million Euro ($5.5 million) into a new production plant for vegetal protein in Wanze, Belgium. The opening of the new facility was officially announced at an inauguration ceremony on March 1, 2019, to mark the occasion. The plant is part of the existing BioWanze factory, a modern biorefinery producing food, feed and ethanol.
The move comes following growing demand for plant-based proteins worldwide as consumer interest in meat-free alternatives continues to rise. Christoph Boettger, Executive Board Member at BENEO, commented, “We are seeing a big shift in consumer diets as an increasing number of consumers actively try to reduce their meat intake and seek out alternatives. Wheat protein was the most-used plant-based protein in new meat substitute launches in 2018 and we see great potential for this market in 2019 and beyond.”