Startup transforms babassu flour into vegetable protein

Bioinfood, a biotechnology startup, managed to transform babassu flour - a byproduct that until now had no industrial destination - into a protein item that can be used in the food industry, especially for hamburgers and other plant-based products.

The product was created in partnership with ITAL (Institute of Food Technology) and multiplies the protein content of flour by more than four times, from 1.5% to around 7%.

Although the startup does not talk about revenue projections, the project received R$2.7 million from the JBS Fund for the Amazon, through GFI Brasil's Biomas InovAmazônia Program as initial funding.

Continue lendo

28/05/2026

Chinese company says it has a device capable of "translating" pet sounds

Chinese technology company Hangzhou Meng Xiaoyi Technology claims to have developed a device capable of "translating"...

27/05/2026

Anahí and Poncho: project reveals reason for reunion between the two

Singer Anahí, 43, and actor Alfonso Herrera, 42, caught the attention of fans when they reunited in January after year...

27/05/2026

With Bernard decisive, Atlético-MG qualifies in the Copa Sudamericana

Atlético-MG is in the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana. This Wednesday (27), at Arena MRV, Bernard scored the goal...

The babassu coconut is part of the extractive culture of Brazil, especially in Maranhão, Piauí, Pará and Tocantins. There are approximately 62 thousand people, mainly women, who make a living from the activity.

For generations, coconut breakers have collected, broken and processed the fruit manually.

Despite the technical potential of the available area being 1.5 million tons per year, current production barely exceeds 4% of this total due to the arduous activity of collecting the fruit.

Top Cifras

Toque agora.

1 Nuvem Negra Djavan

2 Lugar mais alto Intimidade e Adoração

3 Luv Sick Part 3 Nujabes

4 Vou Te Matar de Cheiro Mastruz com Leite

The chain's main product is oil, extracted from almonds. The mesocarp flour - what's left - is practically discarded.

"It is exactly this waste that Bioinfood transformed into high-value raw material. The project also had the support of Rede Terra do Meio do Alto Xingú, in Pará, which provided samples and welcomed the team on visits to the communities", highlighted the startup, in a statement.

The network brings together 35 organizations of indigenous peoples, riverside dwellers and family farmers, totaling 9 million protected hectares.

Farm includes agribusiness in carbon market schedule | CNN AGRO NEWS

How the technology works

The process combines selection of yeast strains, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation in automated bioreactors. Yeast converts flour sugars into protein biomass - without the need for new crops or deforestation, the startup assures.

The technology has already been validated on a laboratory scale, with a plant-based burger prototype produced and evaluated. Now, Bioinfood is looking for commercial partnerships to scale the pilot and make it traceable.

"By generating an alternative protein ingredient, our project directly contributes to reducing dependence on proteins with greater environmental impact and enables the diversification of vegetable protein sources, aligned with sustainability and food security strategies", highlighted Osmar Netto, co-founder and project leader at the startup, in a note.

For him, in addition, the industrialization of babassu flour encourages the full use of native species, increasing the income of the extractive community.

The bioeconomy on which the startup is based also targets a high-value international market: alternative proteins are expected to reach US$88.8 billion by 2034, growing at 14.3% per year.

In Brazil, the sector generated R$1.13 billion in 2024, an increase of 14% over the previous year, according to the most recent data released by Bioinfood. Europe and the United States are potential customers.

According to the startup, the same fermentation method can be applied to other agro-industrial co-products - wheat, corn and rice bran, as well as shells from native oilseeds such as Brazil nuts, macaúba and cupuaçu - expanding the company's potential.

Source: CNN