GEA to build new plant for processing plant-based beverages

GEA is building a new production plant for producing oat, rice and soy bases for beverages for Laiterie de Saint-Denis-de-l’Hôtel (LSDH), a French manufacturer of liquid food and vegetable products. GEA will also supply a pilot plant for product development.

All process steps, from the raw material intake of grains and flour to inline standardisation, will be incorporated into the plant, which is scheduled for completion mid-2022.

The new plant, which is being built at the company’s headquarters in Saint-Denis-de-l’Hôtel, is part of a EUR300 million (AUD470 million) investment program to modernise LSDH’s production infrastructure.

For the first time, LSDH will be able to extract the oat, rice and soy concentrates on its own production line.

The turnkey plant for continuous extraction entails combining processing technologies, such as soaking, milling, separation through decanting, enzyme deactivation, starch hydrolysis, blending, homogenisation and pasteurisation, with the engineering expertise required to plan, automate and operate the plant.

Heinz-Jürgen Kroner, who is responsible for liquid and filling technologies at GEA, commented on the order’s significance.

“GEA regards plant-based applications as a strategic growth area, thanks not only to rising global demand for these products, but also to our technology portfolio and comprehensive project experience. As a result, we can support our clients throughout the entire process, right up to providing services once production gets underway.”

With the new plant, LSDH will be able to produce 14 tons of soy and cereal concentrate per hour.

Economic stimulus program in France

The project is associated with a European protein research centre and subsidised under a national economic stimulus program.

In response to the modern health- and sustainability-conscious food culture, strictly plant-based products made from soy and cereals in the form of beverages, cottage cheese, spreads and other convenience foods are making inroads into French kitchens. The country’s sales of products in this category increased by 12% to 32 million L in 2020. This demand is fuelling France’s efforts to promote the production of vegetable proteins found in cereals, pulses and soybeans at a national level. To address consumer criticism directed at soy production conditions and reduce reliance on foreign soy imports, the French government has launched an investment program for the regional cultivation of this crop. As part of this initiative, LSDH is working to establish the shortest possible supply chains for high-quality regional products. With the new extraction facility as well as the pilot plant for processing other cereal-, nut- and legume-based beverages, GEA is supporting LSDH in this endeavour.

Images supplied by GEA.