Regina-based Protein Industries Canada has announced a major investment in developing new beverages from pulse crops.

Protein Industries CEO Bill Gruel says the 4.3 million dollar project involves U.S.-based Ripple Foods, GrainFrac of Edmonton and Tomtene seed farm of Birch Hills, Saskatchewan.

He says the three groups will find the best types of yellow peas to use for the non-dairy beverage market.

“Ripple Foods is a company based out of San Francisco, California, they’ve got a really strong foothold on the alternative dairy market in the U.S., so they make things like almond milk, and those types of products you see in the grocery store,” said Gruel. “I think what’s really interesting about this product is that we’re getting Canadian ingredients into those products that are growing at quite a high rate across North America.”

Gruel says demand is rising quickly for new alternatives to dairy beverages and Ripple Foods will test the ingredients in 36 new beverage formulations.