Bühler and its partner Hosokawa Alpine have installed a processing plant for their German customer Müller’s Mühle to produce concentrates from pulses. The facility can process up to five tons of pulses per hour into protein concentrates at full capacity and enables Müller’s Mühle to enter the promising growth market for plant-based proteins.
Selin Bürgis
Product Management & Marketing Pulses
Bühler Group
Pulses are key to closing the protein gap and provide 50 percent more – or 265 million tons – protein for up to 10 billion people in 2050. They are gluten-free, have a high fiber and protein content, are low in fat, and boost important micronutrients such as iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Lentils, beans, or chickpeas require only about 160 liters of water to produce 500 grams; by comparison, 500 grams of beef require nearly 7,000 liters of water.
Markus Prantl, Managing Director at Müller’s Mühle in Gelsenkirchen, Westphalia, says: “We have been processing pulses for around 125 years and also sell them as our own brand. The trend towards healthier, more sustainable diets and the increased demand for meat substitutes for vegans, vegetarians, or flexitarians – people who live on a predominantly vegetarian diet but occasionally consume high-quality meat – has accelerated in recent years. We were unable to produce the protein concentrates used for these foods in line with customer requirements using our technology at the time. So, after a thorough analysis, we decided to build “Plant II” on our premises, which focuses on the production of protein concentrates.”
From the very beginning, Müller’s Mühle wanted to work with Bühler and Hosokawa Alpine – who started a strategic collaboration in June 2021 that will accelerate and strengthen the production of healthier and more sustainable plant protein solutions – to design and build the process equipment. Prantl says: “We have been working with Bühler in particular for decades and are very satisfied with their expertise and service.”
SEAMLESS PROCESS STEPS
In this state-of-the-art plant, Bühler covers the upstream steps of coarse and fine cleaning, as well as dehulling. Then the pulses are transferred to Hosokawa’s process steps of fine grinding and air classification stages. In this step, the protein and starch fractions are separated. The goal is always to achieve the highest possible protein content and maximum yield.
Alexander Langer, Area Sales Manager Food Division at Hosokawa Alpine, says: “Consistently high quality throughout the entire value chain not only guarantees flawless end products, but also reduces food waste and ultimately increases Müller’s Mühle’s yield and margins.”
The fact that Müller’s Mühle wanted to enter the fast-growing market for meat substitute products came as no surprise to Randy Urban, Team Manager Customer Service Sales at Bühler. He says: “I have been privileged to support Müller’s Mühle for many years with our solutions for processing pulses and rice. With the exploding demand for concentrates made from pulse proteins to produce plant-based meat alternatives, it was the logical step for Müller’s Mühle to enter this market.”
MORE THAN A PLANT
“Plant II” in Gelsenkirchen is emblematic for an accelerating trend. Randy Urban says: “The fact that pulses are making such an incredible comeback to our menu and enable Müller’s Mühle to open up new areas of business naturally makes us very happy. But the plant here is also a sign that consumers are increasingly concerned with the impact of their diet on health, on sustainability, and on our environment as a holistic system,” he explains. The entire project originated from Bühler’s Customer Service department, from customer consulting to commissioning of the plant. In addition, after years of planning, the project team started the installation in the middle of the second Corona wave in November 2020, which required maximum flexibility from everyone involved.
Müller’s Mühle the largest processor and distributor of pulses in Northern Europe.
THE JOURNEY HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN
At full capacity, Müller’s Mühle can process up to five tons of pulses per hour into protein concentrates – that’s 120 metric tons per day. With this ultra-modern plant, Müller’s Mühle is ideally equipped for the ongoing boom in the plant-based meat alternatives business. Markus Prantl says: “We see our plant here in Gelsenkirchen as a foundation for a promising future. Pulses offer a lot of potential for further growth, for example as alternatives to dairy products. It is good for us to know that with Bühler and Hosokawa, we can count on a well-coordinated team with which we can successfully continue on our chosen path.”
Demand for plant-based meat alternatives such as this burger
Müller’s Mühle GmbH is part of GoodMills Deutschland GmbH, based in Hamburg. Since 1893, the Müller’s Mühle brand has stood for the utmost care in the selection and expertise in the gentle processing of plant-based raw materials. From their mill in Gelsenkirchen, they supply customers from the wholesale and retail trade as well as the food industry throughout Europe as the largest processor on the continent.
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