Meala FoodTech is accelerating industrial production of its texturizing pea proteins by more than tripling manufacturing capacity from production sites in France and Germany, generating enough output to replace 1,400 tons of eggs in 2027.
With Meala’s pea-based texturizer already appearing on retail shelves within branded products, the product is proving to be a reliable ingredient for food manufacturers seeking to reduce egg dependency or replace conventional texture additives such as hydrocolloids.
“Texture is central to the eating experience – it creates the bite, juiciness, and mouthfeel that make a food memorable and worth sharing,” said Hadar Ekhoiz-Razmovich, chief executive officer and co-founder of Haifa, Israel-headquartered Meala. “Manufacturers seek ingredients that deliver this experience alongside reliable performance, competitive costs, and a stable supply chain. Our texturizing pea protein brings these benefits together, replacing eggs or hydrocolloids while supporting a shorter, more recognizable ingredient list.”
Meala’s texturizing pea protein is designed to simplify formulations while enhancing texture, nutritional value, and overall sensory performance. It allows a shorter ingredient list, higher protein content, and no change to the product’s sensory attributes.
The company’s innovative pea-based ingredients are commercially available through established industry partners including DSM-Firmenich,which markets Vertis PB Pea, designed for savory applications, and Lasenor VP-100, which is marketed through bakery solutions specialist Lasenor Emul, as an egg replacement solution for bakery products.
Lower Formulation Costs
Manufacturers are facing growing pressure to simplify labels, improve nutrition and manage ingredient costs without compromise of product enjoyment. This is against a backdrop of egg supply disruptions and geographically fragmented ingredient supply chains, all of which create uncertainty. As such food companies are placing greater emphasis on reliable sourcing and predictable costs to improve margins.
Ekhoiz-Razmovich highlights the economical benefits of Meala’s multifunctional texturizing proteins, offering food makers a more stable and cost-effective alternative amid growing supply chain disruptions and volatile ingredient prices. These pressures are affecting a broader range of food ingredients, with market volatility expected to intensify. By leveraging a reliable supply of plant-based raw materials, Meala enables manufacturers to reduce exposure to price fluctuations, diversify sourcing strategies, and achieve greater cost predictability across multiple bakery products.
In an assessed sponge cake formulation, Meala demonstrated a potential reduction in formulation cost of greater than 40% compared with an egg-based reference. Results demonstrated that the ingredient helps reduce refrigeration logistics of liquid eggs, potentially simplifying storage, transportation, and inventory management.
“For innovation to translate into commercial adoption, it needs to work within manufacturers’ recipes, processes, and economics,” says Dr. Tali Feldman Sivan, Meala’s co-founder and chief business officer. “In meat alternatives, our texturizing protein provides binding and structure while replacing conventional texture additives. In bakery applications, it typically accounts for just a few percentages of the formulation, replacing egg functionality and enabling meaningful cost-in-use savings.”
According to a life cycle assessment analysis conducted by Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, Netherlands, Meala’s pea-based protein has a 63% lower carbon footprint and a 96% lower water footprint per kilogram of protein, as compared to egg powder.
