HIGH WYCOMBE, ENGLAND — Two U.K.-based organizations are teaming up to provide funding for research on plant proteins that may be used in gluten-free bread. A $982,000 (£750,000) grant from non-profit Coeliac UK and government agency Innovate UK will support the study along with two others that investigate methods for diagnosing the disease and software that helps manage it.

Nandi Proteins Ltd., a protein technology company; Genius Foods, a gluten-free baking manufacturer; AB Mauri, an ingredients distributor; and Agrii, a plant science and technology business, will assist researchers at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, to develop three new plant protein ingredients derived from underused crops in the U.K.

“We’re delighted to be working in partnership on a project that will improve the diet of those who suffer from gluten intolerance conditions,” said Lydia Campbell, associate professor, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Edinburgh University. “Some of these illnesses can be quite gloomy but having better products in place will certainly improve people’s diets for the better.”

Researchers will explore how rapeseed cake, faba beans and naked oats could be used to replace egg- and dairy-based ingredients, reduce additives and improve the nutrition, taste and texture of gluten-free bread.

Coeliac UK believes this study could help consumers find cheaper and higher-quality gluten-free bread while opening doors to new markets for U.K. crop growers.