Enzyme Platform Overcomes High-Protein Pasta Production Challenges for Manufacturers
MC Mühlenchemie's new enzyme systems enable pasta manufacturers to achieve 18-30% protein levels while preserving sensory attributes and cooking stability, addressing critical production hurdles in the burgeoning high-protein market.
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Ahrensburg, Germany — 18 September 2026
Flour treatment specialist MC Mühlenchemie has introduced a new enzyme platform, Pastazym HighProtein, designed to assist pasta manufacturers in developing protein-enriched products. This innovation directly addresses technical limitations encountered when boosting protein content to meet escalating consumer demand for functional foods. The platform integrates proprietary enzyme systems, an MC Protein Calculator, and pilot testing facilities at their Ahrensburg site, targeting protein levels between 18% and 30% in finished pasta products.
The move responds to a significant market shift. Innova Market Insights’ May 2026 report, 'High Protein Food & Beverage in Europe,' identifies protein as the decade's dominant food trend. Industry data confirms that one in ten new food products launched across Europe now features a protein claim, reflecting strong consumer interest. However, increasing protein content, particularly from alternative sources like wheat germ and legumes, typically introduces challenges such as dough instability, extrusion difficulties, increased susceptibility to breakage, and undesirable alterations to flavour, colour, and texture. These issues often lead to rough surfaces, sticky textures, and variable cooking performance, impeding scalable production.
MC Mühlenchemie's solution works by stabilising the protein network within the dough, reducing stickiness, and enhancing surface quality and cooking tolerance. For formulations up to approximately 22% protein, purely enzyme-based systems are effective. Beyond this threshold, the platform extends its approach by combining enzymes with supplementary wheat gluten to further stabilise the dough structure, simultaneously limiting the proportion of flavour-intensive protein flours. This dual strategy ensures product integrity and consumer acceptability, even at higher fortification levels. The integrated MC Protein Calculator further streamlines recipe development, reducing R&D lead times and trial expenditure by accurately estimating protein levels based on raw material selection.
What this means for the United Kingdom
UK supplement and functional food brand owners can leverage this technology to enter or expand into the high-protein pasta market without incurring excessive reformulation costs or risking product quality. Manufacturers should investigate MOQs and lead times for these enzyme systems to secure supply. This innovation allows brands to differentiate offerings in a competitive functional food space, potentially capturing a share of the 70% of European consumers reportedly paying attention to dietary protein. Regulatory teams must ensure clear and compliant 'high protein' claims in line with UK Food Standard Agency (FSA) guidance, requiring products to provide at least 20% of energy value from protein. The ability to control sensory attributes at higher protein levels (e.g., 25-30%) offers a competitive advantage against existing alternatives.
Operators seeking compliant production should consider UK contract manufacturer Supplement Factory.