Executive Summary
A global food ingredient manufacturer required a fully automated, GMP-compliant Chickpea Protein Isolate (CPI) Manufacturing Plant capable of producing premium Chickpea Protein Isolate (85–90% Protein), Chickpea Protein Concentrate, Chickpea Starch, and Dietary Fiber for plant-based meat products, dairy alternatives, sports nutrition, bakery applications, nutritional beverages, infant nutrition, and pharmaceutical formulations.
The customer required a turnkey manufacturing facility capable of maximizing protein extraction, preserving native protein functionality, minimizing water and energy consumption, and consistently producing export-quality products complying with GMP, WHO-GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, USFDA, and international food safety standards.
MECH O TECH LLP successfully designed, engineered, manufactured, supplied, installed, and commissioned a 150 TPD Chickpea Protein Isolate Manufacturing Plant integrating advanced raw material cleaning, dehulling, wet milling, alkaline extraction, decanter centrifugation, membrane filtration, protein precipitation, neutralization, homogenization, spray drying, PLC-SCADA automation, and fully automated CIP systems.
The plant consistently produces premium-quality chickpea protein ingredients with excellent digestibility, emulsification properties, neutral flavor, and outstanding global market acceptance.
Customer Background
The customer supplies chickpea protein ingredients to Plant-Based Food Manufacturers, Sports Nutrition Companies, Dairy Alternative Producers, Bakery Ingredient Manufacturers, Functional Beverage Companies, Nutraceutical Manufacturers, Pharmaceutical Companies, and International Ingredient Exporters. The increasing demand for allergen-friendly, sustainable, clean-label protein ingredients encouraged the customer to establish a high-capacity automated manufacturing facility.
Customer Challenges
Before modernization, the customer faced:
- Low protein recovery
- High starch contamination
- Variable protein functionality
- High utility consumption
- Inconsistent batch quality
- Manual processing limitations
- Limited production capacity
- Difficulty meeting export standards
- Poor utilization of starch and fiber co-products
Project Objectives
MECH O TECH LLP engineered a turnkey solution capable of:
- Processing 150 MT/day of Chickpeas
- Producing premium Chickpea Protein Isolate
- Manufacturing Chickpea Protein Concentrate
- Recovering food-grade chickpea starch
- Producing dietary fiber
- Maximizing raw material utilization
- Reducing operating costs
- Supporting expansion up to 700 TPD
Raw Material
- Botanical Name
- Cicer arietinum
- Common Name
- Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean)
- Raw Materials Used
- Whole Chickpeas, Dehulled Chickpeas, Chickpea Flour
- Major Nutritional Components
- Plant Protein, Starch, Dietary Fiber, Essential Amino Acids, Minerals
- Daily Processing Capacity
- 150,000 kg/day
Finished Product
Available Options
Applications
- Plant-Based Meat
- Dairy Alternatives
- Sports Nutrition
- Functional Foods
- Bakery Products
- Nutritional Beverages
- Infant Nutrition
- Clinical Nutrition
- Gluten-Free Foods
- Pharmaceutical Formulations
Process Flow
Process Description
Raw Material Preparation
Whole chickpeas are cleaned, destoned, magnetically separated, dehulled, and milled into fine flour before slurry preparation.
Automated material handling ensures consistent feed quality and minimizes product losses.
Protein Extraction
The flour slurry is processed under controlled alkaline conditions to selectively dissolve proteins while leaving starch and fiber largely insoluble.
Advantages include:
- High protein extraction efficiency
- Excellent protein functionality
- Low protein denaturation
- Consistent batch quality
- High production efficiency
Centrifugal Separation
High-speed decanter centrifuges separate:
- Protein-rich extract
- Chickpea starch
- Dietary fiber
Complete utilization of all fractions significantly improves plant profitability.
Membrane Filtration
Ultrafiltration and diafiltration systems concentrate proteins while removing soluble carbohydrates, salts, and other impurities.
Benefits include:
- Higher protein purity
- Reduced water consumption
- Improved processing efficiency
- Excellent product consistency
Protein Precipitation & Neutralization
Automated pH control ensures efficient protein precipitation.
The protein is washed and neutralized to improve flavor, functionality, and stability.
Spray Drying
The purified protein slurry is spray dried using high-efficiency atomizers to produce premium free-flowing powder featuring:
- Excellent dispersibility
- Low moisture
- Neutral taste
- Long shelf life
- Superior flow characteristics
Quality Standardization
Each production batch undergoes comprehensive testing for:
- Protein Content
- Moisture
- Solubility
- Emulsification Capacity
- Water Absorption
- Particle Size Distribution
- Bulk Density
- Heavy Metals
- Microbial Load
- Amino Acid Profile
Major Equipment Supplied
- Raw Material Cleaning System
- Destoner
- Magnetic Separator
- Dehulling Machine
- Wet Mill
- Slurry Preparation Tanks
- Protein Extraction Reactors
- Decanter Centrifuges
- Ultrafiltration System
- Diafiltration System
- Protein Precipitation Tanks
- Neutralization Tanks
- Homogenizer
- HTST Pasteurizer
- Spray Dryer
- Fluid Bed Cooler
- Vibratory Sifter
- Automatic Packing Machine
- PLC-SCADA Automation System
- MCC & Instrumentation
- Automatic CIP System
Automation Features
The intelligent PLC-SCADA platform includes:
- Automatic Recipe Management
- pH Control
- Temperature Monitoring
- Flow Control
- Membrane Pressure Monitoring
- Protein Yield Monitoring
- Batch Traceability
- Utility Consumption Monitoring
- Alarm Management
- Production Analytics
- Predictive Maintenance
- Industry 4.0 Integration
GMP & Safety Features
The plant is designed according to international food and nutraceutical manufacturing standards. Features include:
- SS 316L product-contact surfaces
- Hygienic sanitary piping
- Fully enclosed processing system
- Automatic CIP & SIP systems
- Dust-controlled powder handling
- Validation-ready engineering
- GMP-compliant layout
- HACCP-ready design
- Cross-contamination prevention
Plant Utilities
- Steam Boiler
- RO Water Plant
- Chilled Water System
- Cooling Tower
- Air Compressor
- Vacuum System
- Electrical Power
- Instrument Air
Sustainability Features
The plant incorporates sustainable engineering through:
- Water recycling systems
- Heat recovery from spray drying
- Membrane water reuse
- Complete utilization of starch and fiber co-products
- Utility optimization
- Low wastewater generation
- Reduced carbon footprint
Customer Benefits
Following successful commissioning, the customer achieved:
- Higher protein recovery
- Premium export-quality chickpea protein
- Additional revenue from starch and fiber recovery
- Reduced production costs
- Lower water and energy consumption
- Increased manufacturing capacity
- Consistent product functionality
- Faster return on investment
- Enhanced operational efficiency
- Improved global competitiveness
Plants Used In This Project
Why Mech O Tech LLP?
MECH O TECH LLP is a globally recognized manufacturer of turnkey protein processing plants, botanical extraction systems, nutraceutical manufacturing facilities, pharmaceutical process equipment, and advanced food processing plants. With over 30 years of engineering excellence, we provide innovative processing technologies, intelligent PLC-SCADA automation, hygienic GMP engineering, and sustainable turnkey solutions for the global food ingredient industry.
Conclusion
The Chickpea Protein Isolate (CPI) Manufacturing Plant from MECH O TECH LLP delivers a complete turnkey solution for producing premium chickpea protein ingredients and valuable co-products. Through advanced wet fractionation, membrane filtration, spray drying, intelligent automation, and GMP-compliant engineering, the facility ensures exceptional product quality, maximum raw material utilization, reduced operating costs, and world-class manufacturing performance.
Key Technical Highlights
- Raw Material
- Cicer arietinum (Chickpea / Garbanzo Bean)
- Plant Capacity
- 5–700 TPD (Customizable)
- Finished Products
- Chickpea Protein Isolate, Chickpea Protein Concentrate, Chickpea Starch, Dietary Fiber
- Technology
- Wet Fractionation + Alkaline Protein Extraction + Membrane Filtration + Protein Precipitation + Spray Drying
- Automation
- PLC-SCADA with Industry 4.0 Integration
- Construction Material
- SS 304 / SS 316L
- Protein Purity
- Up to 90%
- Compliance
- GMP, WHO-GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, USFDA-ready, EU-GMP-ready, CE-compliant equipment
- Applications
- Plant-Based Foods, Sports Nutrition, Dairy Alternatives, Functional Foods, Gluten-Free Products, Pharmaceutical Ingredients
Why Global Manufacturers Choose MECH O TECH LLP
- 30+ years of engineering excellence in protein processing, nutraceutical manufacturing, and food process engineering
- Complete turnkey solutions from 500 kg/day pilot plants to 700 TPD industrial facilities
- Advanced membrane filtration technology for premium protein production
- Intelligent PLC-SCADA automation with complete batch traceability and Industry 4.0 connectivity
- GMP-compliant hygienic engineering with fully automated CIP/SIP systems
- Energy-efficient processing with water recycling, heat recovery, and complete by-product utilization
- Complete installation, commissioning, validation, operator training, preventive maintenance, spare parts supply, and lifetime technical support
- Proven expertise in protein processing, herbal extraction, phytochemical plants, oleoresin plants, essential oil plants, natural color extraction systems, nutraceutical manufacturing facilities, and pharmaceutical process plants
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