Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Funds Vegan Project For Ripple Foods

Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, recently funded a vegan project for Ripple Foods.

Having launched in 2014, this looks like a big win for Ripple Foods, a company that produces plant-based milk, half and half, greek style yogurt, protein shakes and powders made from Ripptein, the brand’s proprietary protein sourced from peas.

 

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How does Ripple stack up to other non-dairy milks? Check out this quote from Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN from @mindbodygreen, and click the link in our profile to read the full article: “My top pick is pea protein milk. It’s a great option for people with nut and soy allergies, and it packs in a lot more protein than many other plant milks. Most varieties provide about 10 grams per cup. It also has a mild, pleasant taste and texture and is incredibly versatile. It’s great for drinking as is or using as an ingredient in recipes.”

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The purpose of the project is to “create low-cost protein isolates using locally sourced agricultural byproducts and is aimed at developing sustainable, plant-based options for people living in developing countries.”

In a press release issued by the company, Amanda Stiles, scientist and lead researcher at Ripple Foods, said:

We’ve created a highly successful plant-based food brand here in the U.S. and are committed to using those insights, in addition to input from people living and working directly in sub-Saharan African and southern Asia, to create sustainable solutions for people in need. We thank the Gates Foundation for their belief in our mission and can’t wait to see what we discover.

The protein isolates can then be “added to foods to increase their nutrition content, or consumed as a standalone high-protein broth.”

With this in mind, the company is also poised to make their findings open-source, so that other researchers and food scientists can use their research to improve food systems for those in need.