Summary:
A Northern-German spin-off company offers lignin-based functional food ingredients acting as texture stabilizer, dietary oil adsorbent, natural fiber and antioxidant. Ingredients are vegan and gluten free. Commercial agreements with technical assistance or technical cooperation agreements are offered to producers of food products such as bakery or viscous beverages.
Description:
Lignin is what holds all woody plants together, a complex phenolic network in the lignocellulosic cell wall that gives trees and cereals their toughness. The biopolymer lignin can be considered a natural high performance additive with unique features as mechanical reinforcement, UV protection, antioxidation properties, temperature resistance and flame retardant. As a biobased and biodegradable polymer from non-food sources, lignin is an ideal and affordable solution to replace fossil sources and thus a natural alternative to non-sustainable ingredients still used in industries such as cosmetics, food, composites or bio fabrics.
A spin-off of a Northern German University uses the unique and diverse lignin features as well as experts know-how gained in years of university research. The company uses proprietary technology to tailor lignin particles of specific particle size and porosity to create diverse valuable materials and intermediary products. The spinoff is pioneering in the use of lignin for high value applications like cosmetic and food due to their compliant production process.
For food applications, the company offers plant based functional food ingredients, which are vegan, gluten free and provide 0 calories. Thanks to the lignin’s multifunctionality, it could even replace multiple ingredients in product formulations. The 100% lignin-based particles solve the textures challenges of vegan and gluten free recipes combining the following functionalities:
Texture stabilizer, dietary oil adsorbent, natural fibre, antioxidant
Specifications:
Particle size: >25 μm, >80 μm, >150 μm
Composition: 50 % lignin, 100% biobased
Porosity: >200 m²/g in formulation
Examples of use:
- Low-calorie / low-carb bakery product
- Viscous beverages
- Oil-adsorption tablets
The functional food ingredients are field tested and available for demonstration. The company will start own production of customized lignin intermediary products for food applications in 2021.
The company offers commercial agreements with technical assistance on sourcing and delivery of tailored lignin powders and intermediaries for specific customer demands from the food sector. Further, the company offers technical cooperation agreements on assistance in lignin-conform product development in the framework of customized application services for food industries.
Type (e.g. company, R&D institution…), field of industry and Role of Partner Sought:
As application partners contacts are sought to producers of vegan and gluten free food products such as bakery or viscous beverages looking for tailored, sustainable and functional ingredients.
Two types of cooperation are offered:
Commercial agreements with technical assistance include sourcing and delivery of tailored lignin powders and intermediaries for specific customer demands. Application partners willing to purchase tailored functional ingredients according to the specifications described above would first discuss their specific needs and applications with the company. Customized formulations can be tested in applications until the partner is satisfied with results. Once the perfect composition has been found, they may regularly order these ingredients.
Technical cooperation agreements include assistance in lignin-conform product development in the framework of customized application services. Partners should describe their specific needs and application focus, that might go beyond the particle specifications described above and might need a higher level of research and development tasks and testing before a solution is found.
Stage of Development:
Available for demonstration
IPR Status:
Patents granted
External code:
TODE20210204001
