Above Food acquires Sonic Milling Systems, unlocking new oat capabilities
Above Food will acquire Sonic Milling's full suite of proprietary intellectual property including its novel hydrodynamic-cavitation technology which uses water and pressure to create microscopic air bubbles capable of breaking apart a diverse range of plant-based ingredients - from whole grains to pulses, fruits, or vegetables - into clean-label liquids and sauces without the need for stabilizers or added oils.
Sonic Milling has begun deploying this technology to produce oat concentrates, oat beverages, and oat creamers for some of North America's largest retailers and brands, said the company.
Hydrodynamic-cavitation technology has the added benefit of improving the digestibility of plant ingredients while reducing unwanted flavors without denaturing nutrients or proteins, according to Sonic Milling.
"Combining Sonic Milling's ability to process whole oats with Above Food's scaled gluten-free oat-production program and primary processing infrastructure, we see advantages in preserving nutrient quality while having the lowest unit economics," noted Wayne Goranson, CEO of Sonic Milling Systems.
"Together we can offer a full range of clean-label oat-products and ingredients nutritiously, efficiently and at scale."
'We've been searching for the last two years to uncover an alternative to conventional fractionated protein concentrates...'
Now integrated into Above Food’s business, Lionel Kambeitz, CEO and executive chairman of Above Food, said it would unlock additional capabilities for the plant-based foods company, which owns its entire supply chain from seed to shelf including shelf-stable CPG brands Farmer Direct Organic, Loma Lina, and TUNO.
"We've been searching for the last two years to uncover an alternative to conventional fractionated protein concentrates, and were focused on technology that increases the bio-availability of the native nutrients and proteins found in pulses, grains, and vegetables,” said Kambeitz.
“Sonic Milling has done just that in the protein beverage space, and we're excited to expand the application of this groundbreaking technology across our portfolio of our specialty ingredients, private labeled products, and consumer brands."
The acquisition also adds aseptic packaging capabilities for Above Food's portfolio of shelf-stable products with recyclable shelf-stable packaging launching in 2023.
