IBBENBÜREN, GERMANY — The Crespel & Deiters Group, a European producer of wheat-based solutions, has completed the integration of Extruded Cereal Products BV (ECP). Headquartered in Helmond, The Netherlands, ECP develops and manufactures extruded cereals and proteins for breakfast cereals, sports nutrition, bakery and convenience products.

Crespel & Deiters and ECP have collaborated since 2007, and in 2014 the two companies formed a joint venture. More recently, Crespel & Deiters at the beginning of 2020 acquired a 100% shareholding of ECP. With the integration now complete, the distribution of the extrudates produced by ECP — derived from wheat, corn, rice, milk protein and quinoa — will be transferred to Loryma’s portfolio. Loryma is the food specialist within the Crespel & Deiters Group and develops innovative concepts that optimize meat and meat alternatives, baked foods, confectionery and convenience products.

At the same time, ECP will establish a new production line and significantly increase its capacity to meet demand for a wide range of extrudates with different shapes and properties. In the newly created extrusion technology center, customized solutions will be developed, which initially can be tested on a small-scale laboratory extruder prior to scale-up, Crespel & Deiters said. The company said extrudates are in demand as texturizers in meat alternatives and as a source of vegetable protein. In the form of crisps or flakes, extrudates add a crunch effect to snacks, mueslis and breading. They also are used in the pet food sector as a meat substitute in vegetarian or hybrid applications, the company said.

“The integration of Extruded Cereal Products BV into our corporate structure is an investment in a future in which vegetable protein sources will play a key role,” said Gustav Deiters, managing partner of Crespel & Deiters Group. “This enables us to meet customer-specific requirements even more comprehensively and support product development with tailor-made extrudates.”