Ojah news
Ojah expands production capacity to meet growing demand for its plant-based meat alternatives
Ochten 23-02-2023 – Ojah BV, a leading manufacturer of plant-based meat alternatives, announced today the expansion of its production facilities to meet the growing demand for its meat alternatives technology. This expansion will allow the company to continue to provide its customers with its high quality and innovative products and maintain its position as a frontrunner in the industry. Ojah’s success can be attributed to its patented technology based on High Moisture Extrusion-technology that has continued to improve over the past decade. This technology produces complex meat like structures from only 2 components; plant protein and water. Creating nutritious and tasty whole muscle meat analogues, high in protein, low in fats and gluten-free. Ojah has developed a range of consumer products, presented to trade as an ingredient or as ready-to-use. …
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THE FUTURE OF….
The vegetarian chicken from Ojah, producer of meat substitutes, is made from water, soy flour and herbs. Thanks to extrusion, the ingredients get the structure and taste of chicken. Ojah’s fully plant-based meat substitutes are made in large factory halls in Ochten. From there they go all over the world. “Our ambition is to be able to sell our plant-based meat substitutes all over the world for a good price.” “The challenge in making vegetarian alternatives to meat is mainly the structure,” says Frank Giezen, founder of meat substitute producer Ojah in Ochten. “It should resemble that of meat. We succeeded with our extrusion technique.” Giezen is actually a polymer technologist. ‘I used this technique to make flower pots from starch.’ Together with Wouter Jansen and Jeroen Willemsen, with whom …
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Ojah is launching the first plant-based ‘Pork Tenderloin’ in the world
Who doesn’t have memories of this? A golden-brown baked tender tenderloin served on a traditional Old Dutch platter. Richley doused in a creamy mushroom sauce. This iconic meat product has been served for decennia in Dutch families for Sunday dinner. But does this product still fit in these times of climate change and consumption awareness? In Ochten, a city in The Netherlands nearby the Dutch Food Valley, we have worked hard to develop a plant-based version of the traditional Pork Tenderloin. Developing a plant-based Tenderloin allows us to enjoy the traditions of past dinners, meanwhile making a positive contribution to an environmentally friendly future. With this product our grandchildren can also enjoy a traditional Sunday dinner without feeling guilty. 100% Plant Based ‘Pork Tenderloin’ In the past three years Ojah …
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This is what R&D staff thinks of the eco-score: ‘Goal must be clear first’
The Eco-Score is appearing on more and more foodstuffs, although nothing has yet been legally decided. VMT asked various R&D staff what they think about the Eco-Score and what the advantages and disadvantages could be. “We see Eco-Score as an interesting development, but it is definitely still a work in progress.” With the Nutri-Score being introduced in more and more countries, some retailers and manufacturers are already looking for the next Front-of-Pack logo. The Eco-Score has become a much-discussed new food choice logo. Large retailers such as Colruyt, Lidl and Plus are already using the Eco-Score or are testing the new logo. This is despite the fact that the logo is not yet known to all producers and/or consumers. VMT asked five product developers what they think of the Eco-Score. …
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Company Outing Ojah B.V. at the Heische Hoeve in Loosbroek
The Heische Hoeve is located in the north of Brabant, near ‘s-Hertogenbosch. An atmospheric family farm transformed into a conference center. Meetings, group events and company outings are held here. The farm is located in the countryside of Brabant and is surrounded by vegetable gardens, arable farming and viticulture. Sustainability is a top priority at the Heische Hoeve. In addition to serving many regional products and their own cultivation, they do everything they can to work as ecologically as possible. Here in the countryside of Brabant you can enjoy a unique food experience with a minimalistic footprint. Sustainability is also a top priority at Ojah, which is why the choice to hold the company outing in the Heische Hoeve was quickly made. It was exciting for a while whether it …
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NIR Helps Ojah With The Development and QC Of Plant-Based Meat Replacements
Ojah from Ochten in Gelderland develops and produces sustainable, plant-based protein products that are used in meat substitutes. The company, which has grown up with products that have a chicken-like texture, regularly expands its range with new concepts. To this end, not only are the perception parameters such as taste, bite and mouthfeel considered, but also chemical, such as moisture, protein and fat content, which are determined with NIR. “Gosh, it looks just like chicken!” According to tradition, those were the words of CEO and one of the Ojah founders Frank Giezen in 2009 when he tasted the first pieces of a material that intended to have the same fiber structure as meat. The pieces were made by means of wet extrusion (‘high moisture extrusion’) of protein-rich soy flour. Water …
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The region revolutionising the Dutch diet
Ethical and environmental concerns are changing what the Dutch put on their plates, but where this foodtech transformation is occurring is somewhat surprising. Livestock farms with patchwork pastures encircle the village of Holten in Overijssel, but in a small industrial park within, steering Dutch diets in a different direction, is the headquarters of Vivera, one of Europe’s largest producers of vegan alternatives to meat. Evolution The evolution of the Dutch diet is no clearer than in the east of the country, where intensive meat farming has been serving up protein-rich produce to consumers for decades, earning the nation the dubious distinction as the largest meat exporter in the EU. But the farms now have new neighbours, as innovators of plant-based alternatives flock to Gelderland and Overijssel, a meat and dairy …
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The Job of a Supply Chain Manager – With Mario Janssen
In this article, we zoom in with Mario Janssen, Supply Chain Manager, on his work within a fast-growing organization such as Ojah. Ojah operates from Ochten (Gelderland, The Netherlands) and is a producer of plant-based meat substitutes. We discuss Ojah’s ‘timeline’ and what this means in a job as a Supply Chain Manager. Ojah is growing at a record pace and this growth is not stopping anytime soon. De timeline of Ojah B.V. ”Ojah was founded in 2009 by Frank Giezen, Jeroen Willemsen and Wouter Jansen. They were colleagues and together they formed a unique additional team: Frank as an Entrepreneur, Jeroen as a Communication Strategist and Wouter as a Technology Specialist. All three had a background in food engineering. When the opportunity arose to do tests themselves, one of …
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Ojah takes on 4 trends with new plant-based texture
Ojah was able to produce separate protein fibers from the start. However, that was not the focus. ‘In the past, the market was different. There was a need for good finished products such as plant-based chicken pieces’, according Joeri Hollink, head of product development, to VMT. With the current popularity of meat substitutes, the demand for other textures is increasing, where Ojah responds to with Plenti ProFiber. With the production of the Plenti ProFiber plant-based pieces, Ojah is moving more towards the production of semi-finished products. “That was the idea from the start. Now that the market has changed, we are aiming for a 50/50 split between ingredients & semi-finished product distribution”. The industrial manufacturers where Ojah works with have an increasing need for a product that they can process …
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Ojah B.V. enables other food manufacturers to produce high quality meat alternatives with the launch of Plenti ProFiber™
Ochten –Dutch manufacturer Ojah BV. has launched its newest high moisture texture, Plenti ProFiber™, enabling food manufacturers to develop and produce plant-based alternatives or hybrid products with their existing machinery. Ojah BV is known in the industry for its High Moisture Extruded (HME) texture Plenti®, which is the texture behind multiple successful brands of plant-based chicken chunks worldwide. The texture provided in these chunks is of the highest quality in its sort and now, Ojah has succeeded to isolate the protein fibres from this very same texture. By physically separating these protein-fibres from the texture we are offering food manufacturers the opportunity to develop and produce their own meat alternative in any shape or form using their existing machinery and processes. In this way Ojah hopes to lower the bar …
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The growth potential of the protein transition
Agriculture and livestock farming are responsible for a substantial part of our impact on the environment: globally, these sectors account for some 20% of greenhouse gas emissions (FAO, 2016). In order to meet the climate targets set in Paris, and because it fits in with a healthy diet, the Food Centre and the Health Council of the Netherlands, among others, stimulate the Dutch to reduce their meat consumption and to obtain more protein from plant-based sources. The protein transition is in full swing. What are the biggest challenges for the industry? All kinds of food companies, both established names and new start-ups, are working on the development and sale of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy. For example, last autumn VION introduced Me-At; a soy-based vegetarian product line. Meat company …
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Vegan Junk Food Bar is the world’s first restaurant chain to be launching vegan Heppi® Ribs this week
Vegan Junk Food Bar is the world’s first restaurant chain to be launching vegan Heppi® Ribs this week Amsterdam – The popular Dutch restaurant chain Vegan Junk Food bar is the first restaurant worldwide to be selling the Heppi® Ribs in a collaboration with meat alternative producer Ojah, who launched “The World’s First Vegan Ribs” last year December at FIE Paris. After Ojah’s successful launch of the pea-based texture that mimics the taste and mouthfeel of slow cooked pork ribs at FIE Paris, Ojah’s next goal was to set out a launch in the Dutch Food service, before making Heppi® widely available for the FMCG industry worldwide. “Partnering with Vegan Junk Food Bar on this exciting launch was a no-brainer”: says Joeri Hollink, Head of Product Development at Ojah. “Vegan …
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Ojah B.V. Invests in Sustainable Paper Waste Solution
Sustainability is an important part of our company values at Ojah. We try to do everything possible to reduce our footprint in this world and to contribute to a better environment. For example, we had LED lighting installed in our building, and have installed solar cells on top of our factory to create sustainable energy. Investing in sustainability We recently made another investment at Ojah in the context of a more sustainable society. We have found a way of writing in which we use less paper and also support a good cause: this is Correctbook. Correctbook produces notebooks that are endlessly erasable for everyone in the world. When you buy a Correctbook notebook, Ojah reduces its paper waste, and also supports projects for children in developing areas to have access …
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Growth meat substitutes offers opportunities for producers
The demand for meat alternatives is growing rapidly. Manufacturers need plant-based raw materials. That increased demand provides opportunities for producers of protein crops, says Frank Giezen who is the CEO of meat substitute producer Ojah. Whether you find meat substitutes useless or meaningful, fact remains that the demand for these products has increased in recent years. The market is still in development. An average Dutch household spends about 13 euros to meat substitutes and 224 euros to processed meat. But analysts at ABN Amro predict a growth of 10 percent in 2020. Ojah, manufacturer for various high end brands, expects an increase of 50 percent of their own production this year. Giezen for sure knows that the increasing demand creates opportunities for growers in the Netherlands. ‘100 percent’. Western Europe …
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Ojah B.V. announces the launch of ‘The World’s First Vegan Ribs’
Ochten, The Netherlands – Ojah BV will launch the world’s first vegan ribs in December, during the Food Ingredients Europe trade show in Paris. The ribs are made with Ojah’s newly developed texture, called Heppi™. The World’s First Vegan Ribs The World’s First Vegan Ribs will seduce even hardcore meat lovers and, according to Joeri Hollink, Head of Product Development, “will be dripping all over your lips and spoil your favourite T-shirt”. No neighbourhood BBQ, family dinner, or rib burger to-go will ever be the same again. The ribs come as a ‘rack’ of approximately 10 ribs, making them ideal for grilling on a BBQ or for quickly warming-up in the oven. As the ribs are boneless, they can be served on a bun to create a vegan rib burger. …
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Meat Substitutes | Frank Giezen, Ojah B.V.
BNR’s Big Five of the meat substitutes: Roelof Hemmen in conversation with Frank Giezen, one of the founders of Ojah b.v. Interesting interview with Frank Giezen about what makes Ojah so special in the explosively growing market of plant-based meat alternatives. That Ojah has successfully developed plant-based pieces that resemble chicken, thereby making the market of meat substitutes interesting and innovative for the flexitarians among us. Listen to the fragment here
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Bureau Zonnige Zaken delivers 2500 solar panels for industrial estate Ochten
On the roofs of Fruityline and Ojah, 2500 new glass/glass Solitek solar panels were placed that produce more than 800,000 MWp for the production of fresh fruit juices and the plant-based meat alternative Plenti. The total area is now 1,3 MWp of glass/glass panels. The supplier of the solar panels is Bureau Zonnige Zaken. They also coordinated the project and took care of the engineering. The choice for glass/glass panels is based on the long life span, the fire resistancy of the panels (class A) and the very limited degradation. This all ensures the efficiency of the panels remains high. Solitek panels are produced in Lithuania, entirely using renewable energy. Bureau Zonnige Zaken imports these state-of-the-art panels. Ojah dreams of a plant-based revolution and wants to stimulate this transition with …
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Ojah B.V. announces Joint Venture with Korys & Kerry Taste & Nutrition
20th April 2018: Kerry, the Taste and Nutrition company, as part of its ambition to become a market leader in the supply of innovative plant proteins, has just announced a joint venture with Ojah BV, market leading pioneer in the production of plant-based meat alternatives based in the Netherlands. Kerry Taste and Nutrition will become the majority shareholder of the company, next to management and Korys, the investment holding of the Belgian Colruyt family. Going forward, Korys and Kerry will co-control the joint venture. This new partnership will focus on strengthening relations with current customers, establishing international opportunities and developing new plant-based products. This joint venture combines Ojah’s proprietary technology to produce “best-in-class” plant-based protein products, with Kerry’s 40 years of food focussed heritage, its extensive global insights and marketplace …
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Ojah B.V. at the Fi Europe
Ojah will exhibit again on this year’s FI Europe (food ingredients) in Frankfurt. FI Europe is the biggest food ingredient fair in Europe, bringing together the world’s leading food and beverage suppliers, research and development, production and marketing specialists. On November the 28th till the 30th we welcome you at our stand in Hall 11.1, number H80. During the fair we will present our Plenti assortment together with our latest developments. Click for more information on the FI Europe 2017
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Takeover Ojah B.V. by Korys
Brussels, 15th February 2017 – Korys, together with the management of Ojah BV, announces today the acquisition of Ojah BV, a pioneer in the production of the latest generation of textured meat alternatives. Ojah’s innovative and sustainable approach to some of the most pressing challenges in the food supply chain proved to be a perfect match with Korys’ core values. Ojah BV, a Dutch company located in Ochten, was founded early 2009 with the ambition to commercialise a process of ‘texturing’ vegetable proteins by using a ‘clean label’ High Moisture Extrusion (HME) technology and succeeded exceptionally well. The Company reported a significant profitable growth since its inception. Ojah introduced its products to the market in 2010, opened its own production facility in October 2011 and has in the meantime developed …
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