Dao Foods International has released The Role of Fermentation in New Protein Adoption in China, a new report on the state of microbial proteins in the country.
Co-written and led by Rouyu Wu, director of investment and innovation at Dao Foods, the report explores the exceptional factors that make China a prime location for biomanufacturing microbial proteins.
The review examines the historical progress of the biomanufacturing infrastructure and the recent regional government policies to promote its future development. It highlights the companies working in the industry and the opportunities and challenges facing large-scale fermentation of novel proteins.
“By conducting this initial research, we hope to bridge the information gap between China and the rest of the world, inspire more entrepreneurs to engage in alternative protein business in China, help discover more useful biomanufacturing resources, facilitate the scale-up of enterprises, and support biomanufacturing in a systematic way,” reads the report.
Dao Foods International is an impact-oriented investment firm funding alternative protein companies headquartered in mainland China and other businesses with a near-to-mid-term focus on the Chinese market.
Fermentation, one of the pillars of the alt protein industry, uses microbes to produce novel proteins for functional ingredients that replace animal proteins. Moreover, developers can create sustainable meat, seafood, and dairy alternatives using microbial proteins.
“The fermentation approach has a lot of potential in China given its history in the country”
Dao Foods’ portfolio includes several fermentation-based protein startups using microalgae, mycelium, and yeast to create new products. In 2020, the company launched the Dao Foods Incubator initiative, promising to invest in 30 Next-Gen Good Food Ventures over the next three years. To date, the company has welcomed three cohorts developing different solutions for the alt protein sector.
China’s manufacturing advantage
Tao Zhang, co-founder of Dao Foods, wrote in the report’s introduction: “The fermentation approach has a lot of potential in China given its history in the country, China’s manufacturing advantage, and its relatively faster speed in terms of mass commercialization.
“Without a doubt, China can play an important role in both the strategy and execution of any new protein company who has the wish and will to learn and take advantage of what China can offer on this front for these reasons.”
For more information and to download the report, please visit The Role of Fermentation in New Protein Adoption in China.
