Wide Open Agriculture (WOA) has released independent CSIRO testing of its lupin kernel fibre as it looks to turn a by-product of its protein process into a second saleable ingredient. The move will shore up the manufacturing model it is currently rebuilding.
The testing assessed functional performance rather than nutrition, measuring the properties that determine whether a fibre survives commercial food and beverage processing. CSIRO found the fibre retained its functional and structural properties through thermal processing with minimal change to texture or water distribution. It performed consistently under the mechanical stresses of manufacturing, and showed high water-binding capacity, a key driver of texture, yield and mouthfeel in finished product.
Methodology disclosed in the announcement covers rapid visco-analysis heating to 120C and cooling to 50C, rheometry on an Anton Paar MCR 302, moisture sorption isotherm on a DVS Adventure, and low-field NMR, run on a 10 per cent w/w solution against a comparator. WOA said the findings complement internal testing showing neutral aroma and flavour, smooth mouthfeel and oil-binding capacity alongside water-binding.
WOA recovers the fibre from the same kernel that yields its lupin protein isolate, which means a second ingredient stream off existing throughput without additional raw material cost. Co-product commercialisation is the third stage of the four-stage pathway the company set out on 2 July, when it confirmed it would idle its German plant and shift to a capital-light contract manufacturing model. That transition is still in progress, with around 90 companies canvassed, 12 non-disclosure agreements signed, and no binding agreement executed.
WOA MD and CEO, Craig Swan, said the results speak to manufacturability.
“CSIRO’s testing showed our lupin kernel fibre holds up under heat and shear and binds water well. These are important indicators of whether an ingredient will work in manufacturing and offer real benefits for customers and consumers,” Swan said.
“It also shows that the same lupin seed can deliver an additional high-value ingredient for WOA, allowing us to up-cycle fibre into commercial reality in future. This would strengthen the economics of our business model and broaden the markets we can serve.”
WOA says the market for functional fibre and fibre-fortification ingredients is around $15 billion in 2026, rising to roughly $29 billion by 2034, with target categories including bakery and cereals, beverages, dairy and dairy alternatives, dressings and sauces, confectionery, nutrition bars, snacks, supplements and pet food.
Sampling to universities, research bodies and prospective commercial partners is underway, with customer application trials and pilot-scale manufacture listed as forward-looking. Scaled fibre production remains contingent on WOA securing a contract manufacturing partner, the same dependency now attached to its lupin protein isolate program.
