Crespel & Deiters brings Happy Plant Protein's dry extrusion to industrial scale

Crespel & Deiters, a sixth-generation German ingredient company, has partnered with Finnish foodtech startup Happy Plant Protein to deploy the latter's patented dry extrusion technology at industrial scale for the first time. The process, operating at the Crespel & Deiters facility in Helmond, the Netherlands, produces textured vegetable proteins from European-grown legumes such as fava beans and peas in a single step—combining fractionation and functionalization without the need for protein isolates, chemicals, or water-intensive processing.

"Happy Plant Protein's dry extrusion allows us to produce functional food ingredients sustainably and cost-efficiently. In Helmond, we combine the process with our extrusion know-how to produce neutral-tasting TVP from European pulses."

—Philipp Deiters, CSO Food, Crespel & Deiters

• The Helmond facility, which has specialized in food extrusion since 1998, features both modern production lines and a technical center with lab-scale equipment for piloting new processes.
• The resulting texturates are described as neutral in taste and free of the bitter, beany off-notes typically associated with legume proteins, and can be tailored for meat analogues, hybrid products, ready meals, and snacks.
• Happy Plant Protein's dry extrusion technology was a finalist for "Most Innovative FoodTech Solution" at Food Ingredients Europe in December 2025 and again reached the finals at the Proteinnovation Summit in Austria in 2026.
• The partnership is part of Crespel & Deiters' broader strategy to expand its raw material portfolio beyond wheat and into new plant protein ingredient categories.