Wide Open Agriculture Receives First Chinese Lupin Protein Order for Popular Bubble Teas

Wide Open Agriculture (ASX: WOA) has received a five-tonne order for its lupin protein from Univar Solutions China for use in the production of new beverages including highly-popular bubble teas, drawing down on a 50-tonne minimum commitment secured with Univar in April as part of an offtake and distribution agreement that outlined a plan for Univar to test new products with customers and complete a sales review.

Demonstrations during the product testing phase generated strong feedback from Univar’s customer base and reinforced Wide Open’s view that lupin protein’s clean taste and functionality are well-matched to modern beverage formats.

Wide Open will deliver the product before end February 2026 to support Univar’s new product launch activities, further its research and development work, and complete pilot production runs in beverages, specifically within the bubble tea sector.

Significant New Market

Wide Open chair Ms Yaxi Zhan said the Univar order opened a significant new market for the company and the start of a commercial relationship with a key customer.

“A healthy and versatile Australian-made protein has significant potential in the Chinese market,” she said.

“Our lupin protein offers consumers a functional plant-based protein alternative suited to Chinese dietary traditions with multiple studies demonstrating its significant health benefits including reducing cholesterol levels and supporting everyday health and wellbeing.”

Ms Zhan said pricing of the initial order remained confidential and commercially-sensitive, and provided no guidance on future orders or revenue.

Bubble Tea Growth

Independent research has forecast China’s bubble tea market to reach US$990.7 million by 2030, implying a compound annual growth rate of 10.5% from 2023.

“Univar has relayed strong, positive feedback from customer trials that highlight our lupin protein isolate’s clean taste and functional performance and support the company’s decision to place this initial order,” Ms Zhan said.

“In the near-term, Univar will continue with its marketing programs tailored to Chinese consumers beginning with lupin protein-enriched milk tea and expect a representative team to visit our R&D facility in Western Australia this month to progress product formulation, processing, and supply planning.”