Food technology startup company ChickP Protein, Ltd. recently announced a native starch developed from chickpeas for food and beverage applications. This non-GMO co-product of ChickP protein is created through proprietary methods, following the company’s initial launch of chickpea isolates formulated for plant-based dairy alternatives. The launch of the new chickpea starch will help eliminate food waste during processing to create a stable, clean ingredient. It has an especially high amylose to amylopectin ratio, with neutral taste and no aroma.
 
Due to its smaller granule size, ChickP reports that the native starch provides better gelling and thickening properties compared to its counterparts sourced from peas and potatoes. As a result, it can be used as a thickening/binding agent in a variety of food applications, including soups, sauces, confectionary, dairy, baked goods, desserts, meat, plant-based meat analogs, and many more applications. It is also ideal for the production of extruded snack products and can be deployed as an anti-caking agent for powdered blends, such as instant soups, spices, premixes, and more, ChickP said.
 
The use of specifically-identified starches in food and beverages has increased globally, with YOY growth of 7% from 2018 to 2019, according to market research company Innova Market Insights. Bakery (27%) was the leading category of launches containing specifically-named starches, the company said, with the top positioning of global product launches tracked with starches being “no additives/preservatives (17%),” “gluten-free (15%),” and “vegetarian (9%).”
 
“The inspiration for developing a native chickpea starch was to offer another purified fraction from chickpea – similar to ChickP’s isolated protein, which contains 90% protein,” Ram Reifen, MD, founder and CSO of ChickP, said. “We’ve extended the purity approach by introducing our pure native chickpea starch, with more than 98% starch content.”
 
ChickP’s ability to separate and purify the solid components of the chickpea (protein, starch, fibers) allows it to offer food manufacturers purified ingredients that bring flexibility to incorporate new ingredients into the formula based on targeted nutritional and functional properties, the company said in its announcement. Existing impurities otherwise present in chickpeas, such as oil (which can lead to rapid oxidation and decreased shelf life), fibers (which could impart rough textures in some applications), and other micronutrients that negatively impact flavor and color.
 
“The ChickP technical team currently is developing food applications using our native chickpea starch,” Ron Klein, CEO of ChickP, said. “We invite companies to collaborate with us to create new plant-based products that meet all the demands of today’s informed consumers.”