Protina, a plant-based protein made from 100% upcycled brewers’ spent grains, was approved for use across Canada after receiving a Letter of No Objection from the country’s regulatory agency, Health Canada.
Terra Bioindustries, a Toronto-based startup taking agri-food waste with their multi-product upcycling platform, first filed with Health Canada in August 2023. With the application authored by Terra’s own Arushi Sharma, Health Canada indicated ‘no further safety assessments needed’ at the end of January 2024, classifying Protina as non-novel due to the historic use of other barley-derived ingredients in foods.
“These applications are not easy to accurately complete by yourself but Arushi really spearheaded the effort. She was extremely thorough in her research, gathering of evidence, and in communicating with regulatory parties and our experienced advisor – Colin Farnum.” Shares co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Ricardo Martinez. “This is a massive milestone for us! This also helps our future applications, especially since Arushi has already begun our FDA and USDA applications.”
This announcement corresponds with Protina’s ongoing prototype trials with food product developers receiving pre-market samples of the climate-positive ingredient for testing. Canadian prototype testers will now be able to launch their new creations following Protina’s market entry later this year.
Terra first introduced Protina along with their upcycled sugars, Recyclose, back in 2021. Since then, both products have undergone industry testing with Protina being tested in a variety of recipes at the Conestoga Food Research & Innovation Lab as well as potential customers. Protina’s unique protein functionality has made it ideal for breads, baked goods, snacks, and more! The mild malty flavour from the barley protein compliments recipes for baked goods, outperforming pea proteins. Terra has committed to launching Protina with a competitive price to pea proteins, enabling food manufacturers to create highly sustainable product recipes without the green-premium.
Prototype samples of Protina will be available for companies looking to get an early look at the upcycled protein concentrate. Companies interested in receiving a sample can contact Terra today.
