Through scientific food research at Lund University, Veg of Lund’s Professor Eva Tornberg was astonished to discover that potato protein offers an excellent amino acid profile, with a biological value of 90-100, on a par with that of egg, widely regarded as one of the most complete sources of protein. The biological value of potato protein – which indicates how well the protein is absorbed – is also significantly higher than that of soy, oat or almond proteins. This is highly unique for a vegetable, which is why Professor Tornberg saw potential in using potatoes as a base for a multitude of vegan and plant-based alternatives. She proceeded to develop a unique, patented method for producing a heat-stable, vegan emulsion made from potatoes and rapeseed oil, which forms the basis of all Veg of Lund innovation.
The potatoes used for the production of DUG are not organic, and therefore have been sprayed with insecticides/pesticides. However, the potato flakes follow the current EU regulations and are GMO-free. These potato flakes are made by peeling and drying the potatoes. During the peeling process, approximately 1-5% of the potato is lost. Peeling is done with steam peeling, and any peeling waste is then used for animal feed or biodegradation.
We use potato flakes in DUG since it is more sustainable to transport dried potatoes, and the quality of the potato flakes remains high due to the low water activity. It also makes our production process more efficient, since we require less steps of handling potatoes at our copackers and can outsource that to professionals in that area.
We currently have our production of DUG based in England and Germany where our sales are going very well. Our focus on sustainability means that we work closely with our customers and consumers.
Yes, more products and line extensions will certainly come. So watch this space…
The raw materials come mainly from Europe. We use the dried variety of potatoes, so-called potato flakes, so we don’t need to transport water. Unfortunately, there is no production of potato flakes in Sweden.
Absolutely. And that is certainly our mission. In fact, our company’s mission is to go way beyond that and to become carbon neutral as soon as possible. Our new recipe for example, takes us a small step closer to that end goal, but we are investigating many other ways in which we can improve our overall carbon footprint, and work towards a carbon neutral status.
We don’t use the potato peel, but we use almost 100% of the other parts.
We sweeten our DUG Barista to be like milk. If you are looking for an unsweetened variant, we have DUG Unsweetened.
We buy pea protein from Germany and Belgium.
DUG Barista is the DUG of choice for your usual cup of tea or coffee, and won’t separate when mixed in hot drinks. Because of its higher fat content, it allows you to create fabulously foamy cappuccinos, creamy hot chocolates, or indulgent chai lattes.
DUG Unsweetened is the cook’s favourite, particularly when it comes to cooking savoury dishes – although it can be used very successfully in sweet recipes too. It’s higher fat and sugar free profile allows it to be used just like dairy milk to make white sauces, curries, pasta sauces, soups and a myriad of other delicious dishes.
Yes, they are. Our packaging material comes from Tetra Pak and is as sustainable as it gets when packing aseptic filled drinks. First of all, we should bear in mind that the packaging material saves a lot of food waste which is the worst form of waste and unsustainable behaviour. But when it comes to recyclability, then it is a bit complex when it comes to Tetra Pak laminates. You can find out more about this on the link below: https://www.kempii.co.uk/blogs/zero-in-on-waste/can-you-recycle-tetra-pak
There are several recipes online on how to make your own potato m!lk, but most of these use (soaked) nuts to give the product creaminess. These recipes are very easy to follow and result in a potato m!lk which was quite good and also tastes good in coffee.
However, in our potato drink, we use a patented emulsion to create creaminess and to be allergen-friendly. To create an emulsion with very small oil droplets, an efficient emulsifying machine is required. Without this machine and without our ingredients, it is difficult to repeat our process at home. Furthermore, our potato m!lk contains added vitamins and minerals to make it more nutritious for daily enjoyment as a genuine dairy alternative.