Food ingredients manufacturer Kemin Industries Inc. is expanding its portfolio of solutions for meat processing operations with the purchase of Gloucester, MA-based Proteus Industries Inc., a producer of clean label protein ingredients and applications, a company release announced this week.

Established in 2001, Proteus Industries’ ingredients help makers of meat, poultry, and protein-based products to increase yield and improve nutrition and quality. Kemin will be able to supply the protein industry with the firm’s clean label phosphate alternative, meat block replacement, and fat block for fried foods following the transaction.

“This acquisition is timely, as this technology allows us to provide the industry with additional product offerings and expanded production capabilities,” Giuseppe Abrate, group president of Kemin Food and Human Nutrition, said in a statement. “It is also a game changer, as it enables us to achieve the Kemin mission to sustainably transform the quality of life for customers.”

The company’s ingredient technology will be rebranded as Proteus when the deal closes. Proteus’ current staff and executive leadership are slated to join Kemin after the sale.

“By providing sustainably sourced, functional, muscle-based protein ingredients in various forms for easier application and greater industry reach, we can help processors to more naturally retain moisture and protein typically lost in process,” said Bill Fielding, former CEO of Proteus and current General Manager at Kemin Food Technologies, in the release. “This means we can accomplish so much – protecting margins with cleaner ingredients, while enhancing quality and nutrition, as well as improving the way the world eats.”