Bon Vivant

Bon vivant powder

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Company News

Bon Vivant Secures GRAS Status for Precision-Fermented Whey Protein, Targets US Market Expansion

Bon Vivant, a food technology company specializing in precision fermentation, has announced that its recombinant Beta-Lactoglobulin (BLG) whey protein has achieved self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the United States. The company has formally notified the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of its GRAS determination, paving the way for its entry into the US market. Speaking to vegconomist, Stéphane Mac Millan, CEO and co-founder of Bon Vivant, explained the significance of the achievement: “This is such a great milestone. Commercially speaking, we already signed three collaboration contracts in various markets, including the US and are now working on more for 2025. So you will see complementary proteins being used by the dairy industry in the US to help them improve their environmental …

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Bon Vivant cow

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Company News

Bon Vivant Presents “Europe’s First” Peer Reviewed Life Cycle Analysis for Precision Fermentation Sector

Bon Vivant, a French producer of milk proteins through precision fermentation, has conducted what it claims to be the first peer-reviewed life cycle analysis in Europe for its precision fermentation products. Conducted by Lorie Hamelin, an independent expert from INRAE, the objective of the LCA was to determine the environmental impact of the milk proteins produced by Bon Vivant in comparison to conventional milk proteins. The company, which raised €15 million last October for its whey and casein proteins with plans to launch on the US market by 2025, previously conducted what it claimed to be the first European life cycle analysis of milk proteins produced by precision fermentation. This latest version, which has been scientifically verified by experts in their field, is framed as another …

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Vivici cow logo

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Fermentation

7 Fermentation Companies Paving the Whey to a Cow-Free Dairy Industry

Following our recent summary of producers making alternatives to casein protein, below is a roundup of the companies using cutting-edge technology to make whey proteins with microbes; bypassing cheesemaking to retire cows from the dairy business. Whey proteins, derived from the whey or the liquid portion of milk that separates during cheese production, are known for their rapid absorption and high branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which play an essential role in muscle growth and recovery. They have been widely used in the last decades as ingredients in protein powders and bars targeting athletes. Whey proteins include β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins, bovine serum albumin, bovine lactoferrin, and lactoperoxidase. Precision fermentation companies mainly produce a bio-identical version of the most abundant of them, β-lactoglobulin, to craft the next …

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Antoine Baule of Bon Vivant

Antoine Baule, image courtesy of Bon Vivant
Company News

Bon Vivant Appoints Antoine Baule as Chairman of its Board of Directors

Bon Vivant, a French startup in the animal-free dairy sector, announces the appointment of Antoine Baule as the new Chairman of its Board of Directors. Baule is the former director general of Lesaffre, a key player in the global fermentation industry, and brings a wealth of experience in agro-industry and biotechnology to the firm. Lesaffre has been a leader in the fermentation sector for over a century, boasting a turnover of 2.2 billion euros with operations across all continents, and a workforce of 10,700 employees. The strategic appointment closely follows Bon Vivant’s raise of €15 million in an oversubscribed equity finance round for its precision fermentation-derived whey and casein proteins aimed at the B2B dairy alternative market. The company also announced in October its intentions …

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Bon Vivant founders Hélène Briand and Stéphane Mac Millan

Bon Vivant founders Hélène Briand and Stéphane Mac Millan, image supplied
Investments & Acquisitions

Bon Vivant Raises €15M to “Transform the Dairy Sector” Through Industrial Scale Production of Animal-Free Milk Proteins

French Biotech Bon Vivant announces it has secured €15 million in an oversubscribed equity finance round led by Sofinnova Partners, Sparkfood, and Captech, for precision fermentation-derived whey and casein proteins for the B2B dairy alternative market. The company also states today its intention to commercialize in the US by 2025. Claiming to be one of the world’s only biotech companies developing both whey and casein proteins, Bon Vivant states this “unique capability” allows it to respond to specific requirements from the food industry, namely those of functionality and nutrition. A French world leader Stéphane MacMillan, CEO and founder of Bon Vivant, comments today, “We are very proud of this new stage in the development of Bon Vivant, which enables us to welcome leading investors from …

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Animal-free milk products by Bon Vivant

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Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Study: Animal-Free Milk Generates 96% Fewer Emissions Than Dairy

A life-cycle assessment (LCA) has concluded that Bon Vivant‘s animal-free milk uses significantly fewer natural resources than cow’s milk and has a much smaller environmental footprint. The milk is made with animal-free whey and casein, which are produced using precision fermentation. The LCA, performed by an independent third party, compared one liter of animal-free milk made with Bon Vivant’s whey to an equivalent amount of dairy milk that had the same amount of protein. Huge environmental benefits The results show that Bon Vivant’s milk generates 96% fewer emissions than cow’s milk, while using 99% less water, 92% less land, and 50% less energy. According to Bon Vivant, the dairy sector is responsible for 2.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions — more than aviation. Consequently, a …

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Abolis Biotechnologies

© Abolis Biotechnologies
Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Bon Vivant and Abolis Biotechnologies Sign Strategic Partnership to Bring Animal-Free Dairy to France

French alt dairy startup Bon Vivant has announced a major new deal with European biotech leader Abolis. The companies have formed a strategic partnership to produce precision fermentation-based animal-free dairy products on an industrial scale.  With the aim of becoming European leaders in the production of animal-free dairy products, Bon Vivant and Abolis Biotechnologies have signed the agreement to pool their expertise to mass-produce milk proteins created with precision fermentation and offer them to the dairy industry. Together, they aim to revolutionize production methods to offer animal-free dairy products on a mass scale.  Lyon-based Bon Vivant has teamed up with fellow French company Abolis as it uses synthetic biology to support manufacturers in their transition to more sustainable molecules and production processes. The major milestone …

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Bon Vivant logo

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Beverages

French Startup Bon Vivant Raises €4M For Precision Fermented Plant Milk

Lyon-based startup Bon Vivant recently raised €4 million to develop its plant-based milk using precision fermentation, which reportedly will be much closer in taste to the existing alternatives on the market. Participants in the funding round include Alliance for Impact, High Flyers Capital, Kima Ventures, Founders Future and Picus Capital. The company was founded in late 2021 by Hélène Briand, an agricultural engineer, and Stéphane Mac Millan, a businessman. Through precision fermentation, Bon Vivant aims to accurately mimic the taste and texture of milk, without using cows and with respect for the environment. “This method of production is a process we have used for centuries, the scientific understanding of which was made possible in the 19th century by the French researcher Louis Pasteur. Today, Bon …

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