The world's first agricultural processing facility that turns cabbages into a highly nutritious and sustainable food product could soon open in Lincolnshire.
One of Europe’s largest coleslaw cabbage growers, Naylor Farms, has applied for planning permission to build the world-first facility in Spalding.
Naylor Nutrition, made up of industry experts, has developed a patented pending cold extraction process that produces protein-plus functional ingredients from cabbages.
The firm produce around 2,000 tonnes of whole cabbages, leaf and trimmings per week. The new process utilises a mix of whole crop, trimmings and leaf and turns it into a plant-based protein-plus ingredient.
The plant-based market is predicted to be worth $74.2bn by 2027, offering firms a chance to expand and build plant-based extraction sites in the next 5-10 years.
Simon Naylor, CEO of Naylor Nutrition said: “It’s always been our ambition to utilise our whole cabbage crop and turn it into a highly nutritious and sustainable food product.
"The world has a growing requirement and desire for quality, sustainable plant-based food and to deliver this, we will need to grow crops that have positive functional benefits but without the negative environmental impact that soy, for example, has.
"Cabbage on the other hand, is fully traceable from field to consumer, sustainable and relatively simple to grow with a high yield."
Pea protein, which is used in plant-based foods, is currently under threat with droughts and wet harvests impacting on both the global price and availability of the ingredient.
But experts at Naylor Nutrition point to cabbage based protein as a sustainable, locally sourced, allergen and GMO-free alternative.
The new factory will be built on Naylor Farms land in Low Fulney Farm in Rangall Gate, Spalding.
The firm says the facility will create around 150 skilled positions within the food supply chain.
The University of Lincoln will also be involved with the development and creation of an in-house learning and research centre at the factory.
