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By Agroempresario.com
Brevel, an innovative Israeli startup focused on producing microalgae-derived ingredients, has partnered with Israel's leading beverage company CBC Group in a 10-year agreement to develop functional products. This collaboration promises to transform the beverage and dairy alternative markets by incorporating proteins, oils, and antioxidants sourced from microalgae.
CBC Group, known for franchising global brands such as Coca-Cola and Carlsberg, has chosen to collaborate with Brevel to promote the use of microalgae as a source of functional ingredients. Under the agreement, Brevel will supply CBC Group with its microalgae-derived ingredients, cultivated in an innovative system in southern Israel. This system has the capacity to produce hundreds of tons of neutral-tasting, highly functional microalgae protein that could compete with pea and soy protein.
Brevel’s CEO, Yonatan Golan, emphasized that the company’s production process is not only highly efficient but also sustainable, with a lower environmental impact in terms of water, land usage, and CO2 emissions compared to other plant-based protein sources.
Brevel stands out for its ability to combine dark fermentation and LED lighting technologies to create a high-performance microalgae protein. This protein is fully functional and produced in a 27,000-square-foot facility, which yields a 60-70% microalgae protein concentrate in powder form.
Brevel’s patented process uses a non-GMO Chlorella strain, allowing for the production of proteins, functional lipids, carotenoids, fibers, and polar lipids. “Our groundbreaking approach allows us to produce biomass at yields 100 times higher than light-based cultivation, which increases profitability by generating valuable co-products,” Golan explained.
Brevel’s microalgae protein is significantly different from protein produced via dark fermentation as it is much more functional, with proteins produced in the photosynthetic complex such as RuBisCo, which enhances the nutritional value.
Microalgae have become an exciting source of food and nutrition, with some companies cultivating them outdoors in ponds or glass tubes to produce ingredients like spirulina or astaxanthin. However, producing economically viable food proteins from algae has proven challenging. Brevel has overcome this hurdle with a process that combines dark fermentation and LED lighting, producing neutral-tasting, high-quality microalgae proteins.
Golan also highlighted that microalgae-derived protein offers significant advantages over other plant-based proteins like soy or pea. In addition to its superior taste and neutral color, Brevel’s microalgae protein is non-allergenic and more sustainable, making it an attractive option for the global food industry.
With financial backing from CBC Group and its advanced technology, Brevel is poised to play a key role in the food industry. Microalgae-derived ingredients have the potential to disrupt the plant-based protein market, opening up new opportunities for the development of functional, sustainable foods.
The agreement with CBC Group will allow Brevel to explore new product categories and consumer solutions. Lihi Rothschild, head of innovation at CBC Group, emphasized that the partnership opens doors for exploring a variety of applications for microalgae-derived products, from beverages to dairy alternatives.
Brevel’s approach marks a turning point in plant-based protein production, combining sustainability with high functionality and neutral flavor, positioning the company to offer innovative products to the global food industry.
