Crespel & Deiters scales up Happy Plant Protein's dry extrusion technology
Textured proteins from European-grown legumes are now being produced in Helmond using the Finnish foodtech startup's patented one-step process
Crespel & Deiters is partnering with the Finnish foodtech company Happy Plant Protein, whose novel dry extrusion process is being used in industrial production for the first time at the company's site in Helmond, the Netherlands. The goal is to produce high-quality, textured vegetable proteins (TVP) from European-grown pulses such as fava beans and peas. For the food industry, this marks another major step towards regionally sourced and functional plant-based proteins.
Family-owned Crespel & Deiters has been processing wheat since 1858 and today sees itself as a refinement expert, turning a wide variety of plant-based raw materials into functional solutions. The partnership with Happy Plant Protein is part of the company's refinement strategy, through which it is expanding its raw material portfolio beyond wheat and delivering new refinement expertise. “We now see ourselves as refiners of raw materials,” says Philipp Deiters, CSO Food at Crespel & Deiters. “That is why we actively seek partnerships with companies whose technologies complement our portfolio and know-how. We see great potential in working with Happy Plant Protein.”
Process steps: Two become one
The process patented by Happy Plant Protein is dry fractionation via extrusion, an alternative to conventional air classification. In a single process step, the flour is separated into protein and starch fractions, and functionalized at the same time. What normally requires several stages therefore happens in one go: no protein isolates, chemicals or water-intensive processes are needed, and valuable raw material components are fully preserved.
The application is particularly well suited to legumes such as fava beans, which are new to the Crespel & Deiters raw material portfolio. The texturates are neutral in taste and free of the bitter, beany off-notes often associated with legume proteins. Their texture, hydration behavior and functionality can be tailored to meat alternatives, hybrid products, ready meals and snacks - all categories which continue to see growing demand for proteins from European-grown crops.
Helmond: Extrusion Expertise Since 1998
Crespel & Deiters' site in Helmond, the Netherlands, offers ideal conditions for scaling up the new technology: specialized in food extrusion since 1998, the facility features modern production lines as well as a technical center with a lab-scale extruder. This is where innovations emerge from pilot scale to full-scale production. The partners are working with several pulses, including peas and fava beans for refinement at industrial scale.
“Happy Plant Protein's dry extrusion allows us to produce functional food ingredients sustainably and cost-efficiently,” says Philipp Deiters. “In Helmond, we combine the process with our extrusion know-how to produce neutral-tasting TVP from European pulses. These ingredients closely match our customers' needs and deliver added value both for further processing and the nutritional profile of end products.”
For Happy Plant Protein, the cooperation marks the first commercial-scale implementation of its technology by an established European ingredient manufacturer. “Growing demand for plant-based ingredients confirms that our process is an important development,” says Jari Karlsson, CEO and co-founder of Happy Plant Protein. “This partnership enables major manufacturers to easily process top-quality plant proteins.”
Dry extrusion has already attracted considerable attention in the industry: At Food Ingredients Europe in Paris, it was a finalist in the “Most Innovative FoodTech Solution” category in December 2025, and again reached the finals at the Proteinnovation Summit in Austria in 2026. With the technology now being applied at industrial scale, an important milestone has been reached.
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