The new site located in the desert periphery of Israel facilitates the introduction of Brevel’s new plant protein to the commercial food market by bringing production up to industrial levels.
From the new facility, Brevel can provide a fresh source of protein extracted from the uniquely grown microalgae belonging to the chlorella family. The resulting ingredient is highly nutritious possessing the full amino-acid profile and highly cost-effective. It has a neutral flavour and colour and leaves a negligible environmental footprint. The company expects the new facility to start rolling its first products by the first quarter of 2025.
Fermentation sees the light
The company cultivates its microalgae in indoor bioreactors via the fermentation of sugars. Unique to its technology is the simultaneous application of light and fermentation. This enables the generation of nutrient-rich microalgae in abundant yields, without any form of gene modification.
“Combining light and fermentation to produce microalgae is like putting an electric motor into a Tesla car,” explains Yonatan Golan, Brevel’s co-founder and CEO. “It may sound like a very simple straight-forward task to achieve but is actually extremely complex. This was the challenge we managed to crack and lies at the core of our technology. Until now, fermentation has been confined to dark environments and is instrumental in producing the extremely high yields. However, microalgae’s natural makeup of nutrients—including protein, lipids, fibre, and pigments—depend on photosynthesis for their development and growth.”
The future is here
The company’s breakthrough in uniting fermentation and light into a single process results in a steady supply of a white powdered 60-70% microalgae protein concentrate. Its robust functional qualities allow for seamless applications into a full range of meat and dairy alternatives. It will focus first on alternative dairy products. “Our versatile solutions can boost protein content in dairy alternative while mimicking the same sensory experience, added Golan. “We have strategised several joint-venture partnerships in the US, Europe, and Asia. The result will be construction of larger facilities to fulfil growing demands for our sustainable protein in multiple applications.”
As part of its waste-free manufacturing process, the company valorises all of the algae’s valuable components, making the oil and fibre byproducts available as clean-label emulsifiers and a source of food enrichment for functional foods and food supplements.