IQI and Avebe start partnership offering ProtaSTAR® premium potato protein for pet food

August 19 2024 - News

IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients and Royal Avebe have signed a long-term exclusive partnership agreement to offer a premium potato solution to the pet food market. Our new ingredient ProtaSTAR®, developed and produced by Avebe, is a high-quality, nutritional, and healthy alternative protein for vegan and grain-free pet food. This exclusive collaboration enables IQI to cater to the growing trend and worldwide demand for alternative proteins for pet food with a nutritional potato protein. 

Royal Avebe is a strong and innovative Dutch company that has been active in the food industry for over 100 years, including the development of potato-based ingredients. As a traditional food for human consumption, potatoes also perfectly serve as a nutritional, versatile, and sustainable protein source for pet food applications. The potato’s typical high starch and protein content sets the vegetable apart as a nutritional and functional pet food ingredient. Potatoes are also naturally rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, a series of B group vitamins, potassium, iron, magnesium, and phytonutrients.

Patented process for ProtaSTAR®

To further enhance the potato’s inherent nutritional profile, Avebe developed a patented process with extra steps for purification and refining. The resulting product, ProtaSTAR®, is characterized by an extremely low ash content , outperforming most other concentrated plant protein sources, such as soybean meal, pea, and corn, in terms of digestibility. The process also leads to a relatively high protein efficiency ratio (PER). Research shows that the digestibility and protein quality of ProtaSTAR® match traditional animal-based ingredients, such as beef, pork, chicken breast, and salmon.

High protein content, digestibility & palatability

ProtaSTAR® is valued for its high protein content of 80% and complete amino acid profile, which serve as a cornerstone for creating nutritionally balanced vegetarian pet food cats and dogs healthy and active. ProtaSTAR® has 88% ileal digestibility and ten times lower total glycoalkaloid (TGA) content compared to regular potato protein. The reduced TGA content gives ProtaSTAR® a neutral taste with good palatability.

Sustainability

Avebe is known for its sustainable solutions and healthy farming practices, which provide a perfect and natural fit with IQI. Both Avebe and IQI focus on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 (Decent work and economic growth) and 12 (Responsible consumption and production). Avebe develops its own potato varieties, targeting higher yields and disease resistance, and has full control over the supply chain: from sourcing locally from Dutch and German farmers to processing in its own factories. This results in a trusted plant-based protein resource with a much lower carbon footprint than animal protein sources.

Availability & co-development

The partnership between IQI and Avebe now makes ProtaSTAR® easily available to all of our customers in Europe. Our customers can now pre-order this potato protein ingredient from IQI to ensure (part of) their stock. Available in bulk, 1000 kgs big bags and 25 kgs bags. Within our strong portfolio of plant- and animal-based proteins, our customers can now benefit from co-development opportunities of new features for possible for possible new releases.