Kemin builds on sustainable ingredient mission with latest acquisition

Global ingredient company Kemin Industries has acquired Proteus Industries, a privately owned food technology and ingredient company that created and patented novel clean label protein ingredients for a variety of meat and poultry applications.

The acquisition bolsters the Des Moines, Iowa-based company’s effort to provide more clean label, sustainable ingredients that lessen the use of artificial ingredients in product development.

Proteus, founded in 2001 in Gloucester, Mass., develops ingredients and applications that improve yield, nutrition and quality in protein-based applications. Kemin will rebrand the ingredient technology as Proteus and it is now available to Kemin’s customers, including private brand suppliers in the United States, assisting food processors to improve retention of moisture and texture without the need for artificial ingredients.

“Kemin Food Technologies is excited to welcome Proteus to the Kemin family,” said Marc Scantlin, president, Kemin Food Technologies – Americas. “We have retained the entire Proteus team, with Bill Fielding, current Proteus CEO being named as General Business Manager and Dr. Stephen Kelleher being named Research Fellow. We look forward to Bill, Steve and the entire Proteus team of experts becoming an integral part of our organization. Together, we will work to further develop this exciting technology, providing a sustainable protein source and new solution for our customers, while meeting an important need in the marketplace.”

The acquisition adds new technologies to the Kemin portfolio of ingredient solutions:

• clean label phosphate alternative to meet consumer demand while also increasing yield and water-holding capacity; 
• meat block replacement used in conjunction with phosphate, for additional yield and water retention while meeting USDA formulation regulations; 
• fat block for fried foods forming a protein crust around items that inhibits frying oil from being absorbed into breading. 

“This acquisition is timely, as this technology allows us to provide the industry with additional product offerings and expanded production capabilities,” said Giuseppe Abrate, group president, food and human nutrition, Kemin. “It is also a game changer, as it enables us to achieve the Kemin mission to sustainably transform the quality of life for consumers. This is critical as the growing world population continues to increase the demand on our food supplies. Consumers are also demanding improved nutrition and cleaner label ingredients. One of the larger challenges facing the industry today is how to meet the rising demand for protein, better nutrition and cleaner labels, without negatively impacting cost or quality."