BioFach 2023: Parodi Nutra declares “Mother Nature gives us protein, so why should we eat animals?”

16 Feb 2023 --- At BioFach 2023 in Nuremberg, Germany, NutritionInsight spoke with Matteo Parodi, outside sales executive at Parodi Nutra, about the company’s journey from experience in vegetable oils to producing protein powder made from nuts and the vision for the company’s expansion to make plant-based proteins available to “everyone.” 

“Nowadays, proteins are getting more and more known on the market. By consuming plant-based proteins, we can move in a different direction – getting away from the animal proteins and instead having a different protein source.”

Differences in nuts
Parodi says that starting from raw materials – the nuts – “we squeeze the nuts and extract the fats to remove the fats inside the seeds; in this way, we can concentrate the proteins and the nutrients.”

He details that the almond and cashew powders look the same in terms of color and texture, but the protein content is the main difference. The almond powder has 46-52% protein, while the cashew has 30-40% and is higher in carbohydrates and “very sweet.”

Extracting the fat from almonds gives a higher protein content concentration.Parodi says that almonds have a high fat content, so removing the fat allows for a higher protein content.

“We are upcycling, so we don’t waste anything. The oil extracted will be used in other products, such as cosmetics or food items, depending on the origins of the raw material.” 

Expanding availability
Parodi says, “the main goal for me is to make the products available for everybody. We sell B2B now but want to sell directly to the customers. My vision is to create a milkshake, a product with or without milk that is gluten-free and rich in proteins, available in any supermarket – but of plant-based products.”

Previously covered by NutritionInsight is the increased consumer demand for plant-based products with a high nutritional density, which also increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In previous studies, almonds have shown various health benefits for heart health, stress, sperm function and appetite regulation.

Parodi believes that consumers will develop different needs in the coming year. “In supermarkets, everything is ‘protein content, protein content,’ but where do those proteins come from?”

“To me, there is no need to start eating insects to have a source of protein. We have mother nature that gives us protein, so why should we eat other animals?” he concludes. 

By Beatrice Wihlander