KANANASKIS, Alta. – Protein products are hot commodities among health-conscious consumers.
To get in on the action, a nutraceutical company based in Winnipeg has patented a process to extract high quality protein from canola meal.
“Canola is one of the most difficult proteins to get and work with,” said Don Murray, vice-president of Burcon Nutrascience Corp.
Murray said that Puratein, which is the trademark name for the product, has unusual applications as a food additive.
He told the recent Canola Council of Canada annual meeting in Kananaskis that the company has developed a relatively simple method of separating protein from canola meal by using water and table salt.
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“The simpler the process, the better it is for the protein.”
The process removes one-third of the available protein.
Puratein is a light brown product that contains some traces of sugar, salt and fat. It is comparable to casein, a protein found in cow’s milk, and has a slightly nutty flavor and neutral aroma.
Puratein could be used to add protein to veggie burgers or act as a binding agent for breads and meats. It can also be beaten into foam to replace egg whites for such products as meringue or nougat. Egg whites cost about $12 per kilogram while Puratein costs $8 per kg.
Future uses may extend to lotions, creams and shampoos.
