Towards a holistic and sustainable Swedish value chain for pea biorefinery (100%Pea)

Purpose and goal:

Currently, almost all the peas produced in Sweden end up in feed applications. 100%Pea aimed to provide the knowledge needed for upgrading the Swedish pea value chain in farming, warehouse/distribution, preprocessing and processing steps for a high-efficiency pea biorefinery. The project has provided new knowledge on factors driving pea protein quality in different steps of the value chain and possible routes for their optimization and upgrade facilitating a shift from feed to food application.

Expected results and effects:

100%Pea demonstrated the potential of Swedish peas for parallel production of protein and fibers. A great potential in purpose-specific selection of pea variety, the necessity of adaptation strategies to the effects of cultivation location and storage condition and new strategies for improving its flavor were examples of outcomes. Results and insights from this project greatly benefit Lantmännen in their planned pea biorefinery in Lidköping.

Approach and implementation:

The project investigated the possiblity of production of multiple products including protein, fiber and starch from Swedish peas. It also investigated the impact of different factors across the Swedish pea value chain such as pea variety, storage time and condition, harvest location, harvest year and biorefinery conditions on protein extraction yield, flavor, antinutrients and functionality. Upgrading the biorefinery process for better flavor and nutritional value was also studied.