Zyrcular Foods has started production at an alternative protein plant in the town of Seva, in the Osona region of Barcelona province. 

The company has invested a total of €3.5 million in the 1,500 square metre facility. Operating initially with a single shift, Zyrcular Foods will produce up to 1,000,000 kilograms annually of alternative protein for third parties, supermarket chains, foodservice companies and food manufacturers. 

The plant is currently in commissioning and will start production in mid-March. It will be the first factory 100% dedicated to alternative protein production in Spain. Zyrcular Foods has also acquired adjacent plots with a view to expanding production of plant protein and other alternative protein foods in the medium and long term.  

Launchpad for startups and international businesses 
As part of the Netherlands’ Wageningen Food Valley food cluster and the Good Food Institute (which started in the United States and is now active worldwide), Zyrcular Foods will offer its facility in Seva to startups and food tech businesses from Spain and other countries to produce and sell their products in Europe.

Many businesses will reduce their carbon footprint by using the new facility to produce in the Mediterranean region rather than importing their products.  

A sustainable business for a greener world 
Sustainability is one of the foundations of the project, consistent with the company’s business goals. That is why the plant is 100% green: it operates with renewable on-site solar energy and energy supplied by PEUSA (a renewable energy supplier that operates in the Pyrenees).  

The project’s financing is also structured following the principles of sustainable finance. The plant is certified under the internationally recognised ISO 14001 environmental management standard and is practically emissions neutral. The facility is at the entry to the Biosphere Reserve of the Montseny Natural Park, and its design respects the natural environment.  

“Our dream must be to produce using locally grown plant raw material:  that would enable us to bring our CO₂ footprint down as low as possible,”  said Santiago Aliaga, Zyrcular Foods’ CEO, who went on to add, “we will  encourage growers to shift to new legume crops and help to counteract  rural depopulation through a value-added project.” 

A system open for use by other businesses 
The Zyrcular Foods group is made up of three businesses or business units:  Zyrcular Labs, Zyrcular Plant and Zyrcular Brands. Zyrcular Labs is involved in innovation and food development; Zyrcular Plant – the new factory – is devoted to manufacturing, and Zyrcular Brands works on product distribution.

With this open system, Zyrcular Foods offers its services to businesses that need to develop new foods, that need to manufacture at scale, or that need a distribution arm to reach the retail or foodservice markets in Spain.  

Aliaga affirms that “we have gone from being a distributor of big international plant protein brands like Beyond Meat, NEXT, Gardein and Sophie’s Kitchen to producing them under contract. This is a significant milestone for innovation in the food industry in Spain.” 

The company currently distributes leading international alternative protein brands like Beyond Meat, NEXT!, Gardein, Sophie’s Kitchen and Green Vie. The business is a supplier for big supermarket chains like ALDI, La Sirena, Sánchez Romero, and foodservice companies like Áreas, Pad Thai Wok and Fosters Hollywood.