Vertically-integrated plant-based food company Above Food has acquired sonic milling systems, a food technology company using an advanced extraction technology to produce clean-label plant-based ingredients and products, with a focus on oats.
Above Food sings an agreement to acquire Sonic Milling Systems, a food-technology company focused on developing processing techniques to create plant-based ingredients and products more cost effectively, using fewer resources, while increasing the bio-availability of nutrients.
This acquisition brings with it a full suite of proprietary intellectual property and global patent coverage for both core and recently developed ancillary technologies.
REGINA, SASK. — Above Food Corp. has agreed to acquire Sonic Milling Systems, Ltd., a food technology company focused on developing processing techniques for plant-based ingredients and products.
Canada-based Sonic Milling’s proprietary hydrodynamic-cavitation technology uses water and pressure to create microscopic air bubbles capable of breaking apart a range of ingredients like pulses, fruits and vegetables into clean label liquids and sauces without the need for stabilizers or added oils. The company has deployed the technology to produce oat concentrate, oat beverage and oat creamer for several North American brands and retailers.
Hydrodynamic-cavitation technology has the added benefit of improving the digestibility of plant ingredients while reducing unwanted flavors without denaturing nutrients or proteins, according to Sonic Milling.
Founded in 2020 by food industry veterans Lionel Kambeitz, Donato Sferra, Tyler West and Martin Williams, Above Food is a vertically integrated plant-based foods company. It uses regenerative agriculture farming practices and plant-based proteins such as oats, chickpeas, peas, lentils and fava beans in its consumer brands, including Farmer Direct Organic, Only Oats, Culcherd and Eat Up! Its business-to-business division, Purely Canada Foods, supplies plant proteins and plant-based ingredients to customers around the world.
Above Food will leverage Sonic Milling’s technologies to create oat-based products more cost effectively and using less resources.
Combining Sonic Milling's ability to process whole oats with Above Food's scaled gluten-free oat-production program and primary processing infrastructure, we see advantages in preserving nutrient quality while having the lowest unit economics,” said Wayne Goranson, chief executive officer of Sonic Milling. “Together we can offer a full range of clean label oat-products and ingredients nutritiously, efficiently and at scale.
Along with the ability to process grains, pulses and vegetables into liquids and sauces, hydrodynamic cavitation technology creates controlled heat and pressure, improving digestibility and reducing unwanted flavors, without denaturing nutrients or proteins, according to the companies.
“We've been searching for the last two years to uncover an alternative to conventional fractionated protein concentrates and were focused on technology that increases the bioavailability of the native nutrients and proteins found in pulses, grains and vegetables,” Mr. Kambeitz said. “Sonic Milling has done just that in the protein beverage space, and we're excited to expand the application of this groundbreaking technology across our portfolio.”
Lionel Kambeitz went on to acknowledge the significant achievements of the hydrodynamic-cavitation technology that was advanced by Charles and Wayne Goranson and their team, "We are also pleased to partner with team Goranson who will be driving technology innovation and utilization with Above's specialty ingredient, private labeled products and branded CPG manufacturing."
The acquisition also adds futuristic and scaled aseptic packaging infrastructure and capabilities to Above Food's technology stack. With recyclable shelf stable packaging launching later next year, Above Food's new Eco-Lean packaging line will enable synergies and advancements in packaging sustainability across its other shelf-stable consumer brands: Farmer Direct Organic, Loma Linda, and TUNO.
