SoriaNatural adds new plant to dairy alternative options

Now, Spanish company SoriaNatural has headed into the sector with an entirely new product – a canary grass seed drink.

SoriaNatural was presenting the product, along with some of its other lines, at the world’s largest organic trade show, Biofach in Nürnberg, Germany, earlier this month.

The cereal has been around for a long time, and has traditionally been used as birdseed.  

However, according to SoriaNatural, the seed is a natural addition to its existing range of products, as it’s a good source of protein, is low in fat, helps maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and sugar in the body, and has a high content of zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese, as well as B vitamins and folic acid.

The new one-liter drink, which has a shelf-life of 12 months, has also been joined by other products sourced from the seed, including cookies, pate, a dessert with cacao and chia, and a dessert with quinoa and vanilla.

Growing organic

SoriaNatural international business specialist Hans Buysrogge, told DairyReporter the process isn’t complicated, as it’s the same as is used for their other products. However, he said, as there is no organic seed on the market, the company needed to take the initiative if it wanted organic seed.

“We have 500ha of organic certified fields, so we decided, let’s grow that organic grass seed ourselves,”​ Buysrogge said.

He said that the company’s addition of more vegan products is due to more people looking for alternative products even if they aren’t vegan.

“They might decide they are only going to have meat only once a week and need a protein alternative. We also see it in the stores, previously we were just selling in specialty stores and now we’re in the main supermarkets.”​