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Viking Malt’s activities in Innovation

We reimagined germination for food, enabling our contribution toward a sustainable shift in the food system with development of malted faba bean Sprau®.

Viking Malt is also participating in two innovation projects focusing on plant-based food ingredients: Sustain-a-bite and FABulOATS. The projects are presented shortly below, and we encourage you to read more from the project’s websites.

Optimizing sustainable food systems with Sprau®

Sprau® is proud to be at the forefront of sustainable food innovation, leading a collaborative research initiative aimed at advancing the development and application of next-generation plant-based ingredients. This project brings together partners from the food and beverages industry to accelerate the adoption of sustainable, nutritious, and functional food solutions that meet the demands of a modern, health-conscious society.

Project Objectives

The primary aim of this initiative is to explore and optimize the use of innovative plant-based ingredients – such as sprouted legumes – to improve the nutritional profile, functionality, and sustainability of food products. By investigating food processing methods, the project seeks to establish best practices that can be widely implemented across different industries.

Sprau’s Responsibilities

Faba beans are an outstanding species that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, revitalise the soil, improve biodiversity and help reduce animal-based consumption. They demonstrate a huge potential to help both agriculture and the food industry become more sustainable. On top of being an excellent plant-based protein source, legumes store dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. One of the factors limiting the use in the diet is the digestive discomfort pulses may cause.

Looking Ahead

We are excited to drive Sprau® innovative project forward. With a strong commitment to sustainability, nutrition, and transparent partnership, Sprau® continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in plant-based food and beverages solutions. Stay tuned for updates as we work together to create a healthier, more sustainable future for food.

More Information

Please visit website: https://www.wearesprau.com

Sustain-a-bite

Sustain-a-bite is a Horizon Europe project, developing innovative, affordable, and resource-efficient solutions for minimally processed plant-based foods.

The aim of the project is to develop minimally processed food alternatives using whole grains (barley, faba bean, and chickpea) and upcycled side-streams from the food industry.

The co-research project is coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and the consortium includes 19 partners from 13 countries.

Viking Malt’s Role

In Sustain-a-bite project, Viking Malt is working and sharing expertise especially within the next areas:

Supplier of raw materials
Expertise in malting and germination
Plant-based market insights

Viking Malt’s commitment to innovation around plant-based food ingredients as well as sustainability aligns well with the project’s goals.

Funding and Timetable

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme and by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). It was officially launched on 1 October 2024 and is set to end on 31 March 2028.

More Information

Please visit the project’s website: https://sustain-a-bite.eu/

FABulOATS

FABulOATS project responds to the growing global demand for plant-based foods and focuses on improving oats and faba beans for diverse food applications. The project combines modern genomic breeding technologies and in-depth raw material knowledge in collaboration with Finnish plant breeders and food companies.

The aim of the project is to improve the quality factors of oats and fava beans for the food industry. The project is expected to generate significant business and export opportunities. FABulOATS will provide tools and know-how to the food industry and plant breeders to support new product development and competitiveness.

The research is led by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and there are seven collaborators in the consortium: Boreal Plant Breeding Ltd., Fazer Finland Oy, The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), Raisio Oyj, Vaasan Oy, Valio Oy and Viking Malt Oy.

Viking Malt’s Role

In FABulOATS project, Viking Malt is participating and sharing expertise especially within the next areas:

Expertise in raw materials diversity and quality
Relation between quality traits and food & drink applications

Viking Malt’s experiences with faba bean ingredients as well as processing oat on an industrial scale are big advantages in this project.

Funding and Timetable

The project is funded by the project’s participants, and Business Finland Co-research as a part of Valio Food 2.0 project ecosystem. The project duration is from 1 January 2025 to 28 February 2027.