Organic SoLo Pea Protein Powder

After every production run of SoLo Pea Protein powder, rigorous testing for micro and heavy metals—including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury—is conducted by an ISO-accredited third-party laboratory.

Test report of current inventory can be found in the Certificate of Analysis Section above.

Although our Pea Proteins are extracted from yellow peas grown in organic farms in regions of Canada that do not have high levels of heavy metal contamination in soil, our supply-chain program for heavy metal hazard still requires that every crops of peas were tested for heavy metals. Once the peas are processed and extracted into protein, we test the pea protein once again for heavy metals. Because the peas used to extract for proteins are already tested as safe before processing, the second test for heavy metal after processing is done on a periodic basis. The heavy metals tested are Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, and Mercury.

Glyphosate is a synthetic herbicide used to kill weeds with crops. Plant-based food products that are USDA Organic means that they are certified by USDA accredited agencies to use only produce grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest. Prohibited substances include synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. In order for a finished product to be certified as USDA Organic, every single step in the supply chain involved in the production of the goods needs to be under stringent scrutiny by USDA accredited agency: from farming of fresh produce, to processing factory, to packaging of the finished goods.

As no glyphosate was allowed to be applied on the soil where the peas were grown for at least three years prior to harvest. Peas that are organically grown contain no glyphosate. As the testing for glyphosate is costly, unnecessary testing for glyphosate will incur unnecessary cost burden to the end consumers. For the reasons explained above, we do not test for glyphosate.

Every single batch of our SoLo Pea is tested for heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium). Please see attached the Certificate of Analysis from third-party laboratory for the current inventory. We have a new production scheduled to be completed in the next two weeks. A new certificate of analysis for the fresh batch will be available soon. Please reach back in four weeks if you would like to have a copy of the new COA.

We are GFCO certified so we do not process anything with wheat or gluten. Our facility does process milk, eggs, tree-nuts (including coconuts and almonds) soy and sesame seeds. However, we have a stringent allergen program where the production lines are kept separated and allergen surface swab testing are conducted on the line prior to every single production run. In addition, each batch of our SoLo Pea is sent to a third-party lab to test for any trace of Gluten, Dairy, and Soy.

Our SoLo pea is verified by third-party lab to be FREE of Gluten, Dairy, and Soy.

Pea Proteins Isolate contain negligible to none amount of lectins as lectins are effectively eliminated by the extraction process.

Please read below for more information:

Proteins in pea consist of approximately 55-65% globulins and 20-25% albumins with a minor proportion of prolamins and glutelins. These four proteins have different solubility in various solvents: globulins are soluble in dilute salt solution, albumins in water, prolamins in ethanol, and glutelins in dilute alkali solutions.

Since globulins take up the majority of the protein composition in peas, it makes the most sense economically to focus the extraction on globulins. Most (if not all) peas proteins in the industry are extracted by the use of dilute salt solution as the extracting agent (hence the extra load of sodium in virtually most of pea protein powders in the market)

Lectin is one of the albumins. Since the extraction of pea protein focuses on globulins, lectins are not present in the isolated proteins.

Furthermore, lectins are heat sensitive, water soluble, and mostly found in the outer hull of peas. The extraction process of pea protein starts with milling, wet filtration, then freeze drying. The milling mechanically removes the majority of lectins by removing the outer shells, then the long exposure to water during the wet filtration further removes any remnant of lectins, finally the selective extraction of globulins in peas leaves any trace of lectins, which are albumins, behind.

The testing of lectins in food is very expensive. Since the extraction process of pea proteins effectively eliminates lectins from peas, commercially produced pea proteins are not commonly tested for lectins.

To answer this question, first let me explain to you how most pea protein on the market is made. 

Field Peas consist of ~70% globulins and 10-25% albumins with a minor proportion of prolamins and glutelins. These four proteins have different solubility in various solvents: globulins are soluble in dilute salt solution, albumins in water, prolamins in ethanol, and glutelins in dilute alkali solutions.

Since globulins take up the majority of the protein composition in peas, it makes the most sense economically to focus the extraction on globulins. Most (if not all) peas proteins in the industry are extracted by the use of dilute salt solution as the extracting agent.

Field Peas grown in farms are allowed to dry in the pods before harvest. Sun-dried field peas then undergo milling, a mechanical action to remove the outer shells. The result is a flour containing soluble fibers, starches and proteins. The flour is then subjected to wet filtration with dilute salt solution as the extracting agent. From this solution, pea protein is precipitated at its isoelectric point and then freeze dried. The result is pea protein isolate.

Because dilute salt solution is used as an extracting agent, sodium from the salt solution often stays with the extracted protein. This is the reason why most (if not all) pea protein in the market has surprisingly high content of sodium.

Not all Pea Proteins are created the same. SoLo Pea Protein from Folona undergoes an extra step of water-based filtration using proprietary technology to remove the excess sodium content before freeze drying. The result is a pure pea protein extract with no “added" sodium.