Precision Fermentation News - vegconomist: the vegan business magazine

LiDestri Foods and Fermentum Establish “First” Commercial Scale Precision Fermentation Plant in the US

September 13, 2023September 13, 2023

LiDestri Foods and Drinks, the largest private label and food contract manufacturer in the US, and Fermentum, a leading fermentation capacity expert, have announced a joint venture to solve the bottleneck for precision fermentation capacity and support the growth of industrial biotechnology in the country. As part of the collaboration, LiDestri Foods will provide Fermentum $8.5 million in financing for leasing and construction. Fermentum will run a facility at Eastman Business Park in Rochester, NY, with 510 thousand liters of precision fermentation capacity and robust commercial scale downstream processing already installed. The site, which is operational and available immediately, has the necessary equipment, including tank capacities ranging from 400 L, 20 thousand, and 70 thousand liters, to scale ingredients from the lab to pilot and commercial scale fermentation. According …

Organisations and brands:

Fermentum

LiDestri Foods and Drinks

Fermentation

Fermify Fuels Animal-Free Cheese Growth with New Strategic Partners, Extends Seed Round

July 10, 2023July 10, 2023

Austrian biotech company Fermify has extended a previously closed Seed round and has announced new industry partnerships with multinational companies CREMER and Interfood. According to the company, the new collaborations will fuel its growth and accelerate the development of animal-free cheese and their market entry. Founded in November 2021 by Eva Sommer and Christoph Herwig, Fermify claims to have developed a fully automated platform to produce precision fermentation-derived casein to make animal-free cheese at scale. Becoming a world leader In May, in a round led by Dörte Hirschberg from Article 9 climate tech fund and Climentum Capital, the company secured $5 million to accelerate and digitalize its precision fermentation process to disrupt the dairy industry. Now, with the new partnerships, the biotech company is extending the Seed round. Eva Sommer, CEO …

Organisations and brands:

Fermify

Fermentation

Israel Innovation Authority Selects YDLabs to Build $14M Fermentation Facility

June 20, 2023June 19, 2023

The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) announced it will invest NIS50 million (approximately $14 million) in a fermentation facility offering research, development, and production services to local and foreign food tech companies. Last January, the IIA announced plans to build a fermentation plant to support and strengthen the country’s alt protein ecosystem, considered a national priority, and called for proposals. Following an extensive evaluation, IIA selected the Israeli fermentation company YDLabs to lead the facility’s construction. “We are pleased to confirm the selection of YDLabs and look forward to seeing the Israeli ecosystem benefit from infrastructure and services provided for scaling production to enable economic feasibility assessment, regulatory preparedness, and more,” said Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority. Fermentation facility for Israel YDLabs will establish the new plant and …

Organisations and brands:

Israel Innovation Authority

YDLabs

Cauldron Secures AUD$10.5M in One of Australia’s Biggest Female-Founded Seed Rounds

March 27, 2023

Australian precision fermentation company Cauldron (not Cauldron Foods of the UK), has raised AUD$10.5 million to develop, prove, and commercially scale new food, feed, and fibre ingredients to make alt dairy, meat, and biodegradable materials. Founded in 2022 by precision fermentation expert Michele Stansfield and headquartered in Orange, New South Wales, Cauldron says the raise is one of Australia’s largest seed rounds for a female-founded company. Main Sequence, the deep tech venture capital firm founded by CSIRO, and Hong Kong’s Horizons Ventures, backed up the biotech company. “Humanity has spent thousands of years getting fermentation to work. With Cauldron’s revolutionary fermaculture platform, we are supercharging that process and unlocking the next evolution of how we produce food, feed, and fibre globally,” said Stansfield, also the …

Organisations and brands:

Cauldron Foods

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Food Tech Leaders Launch Food Fermentation Europe to Bring Sustainable Animal-Free Foods to EU Market

March 15, 2023

A group of leading players in precision fermentation announce they have come together to form Food Fermentation Europe (FFE), a new alliance working to create a more resilient and sustainable food system in Europe. Representing the region’s fermentation food and food ingredient sector, along with its surrounding ecosystem, FFE says it will work with regulators to bring more sustainable animal-free foods to the European market. FFE’s founding members include Better Dairy, Formo, Imagindairy, Onego Bio and Those Vegan Cowboys. The group says its members are united in the pursuit to improve current unsustainable food systems and have three primary objectives: To raise awareness and build a supportive, forward-looking policy framework for fermentation food and food ingredients in Europe. To advocate for a predictable, non-discriminatory and …

Organisations and brands:

©The EVERY Co.

The EVERY Co. Appoints Nair Flores, Formerly of Facebook and UPSIDE Foods, to Lead Its IP Strategy

March 9, 2023March 8, 2023

Food tech company The EVERY Co. announces it has appointed legal veteran Nair Flores as the company’s Senior Vice President, Head of Legal. Flores previously served in “seminal” roles at hypergrowth companies like Facebook, Lyft and Upside Foods. In her new role, Flores will lead EVERY’s IP estate as the company scales global production of its alternative proteins. According to EVERY, the hiring of Flores comes as the company positions itself for key growth milestones for its nature-identical egg products. Flores will be tasked with leading the company’s legal strategy and laying the IP groundwork for EVERY’s expansion. Flores brings 20 years of experience, most previously as Vice President, Legal at cultivated meat company Upside Foods, where she was instrumental in developing IP infrastructure and …

Organisations and brands:

©Motif FoodWorks

Motif FoodWorks Partners with IngredientWerks to Explore Creating Animal-Free Heme From Corn

March 2, 2023

Food tech startup Motif FoodWorks announces it is partnering with IngredientWerks, an agtech ingredients company, to develop high-value plant-based proteins for the alt-protein market. Through the research partnership, the two companies say they will explore new ways to optimize heme protein production through molecular farming. According to Motif, the partners have begun an exploratory study aimed at recreating Motif’s HEMAMI™ ingredient using corn. HEMAMI is used to give plant-based meats the same flavor and aroma as animal-based meat, and is said to be bioidentical to the bovine heme protein found in beef. IngredientWerks will aim to produce Motif’s HEMAMI using broad-acre crops such as corn. If successful, Motif says enabling crop protein production in its ingredient strategy will lower both production costs and the carbon footprint …

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Bold Cultr, General Mills’ Animal-Free Cream Cheese Venture, Closes After Losing Funding

February 28, 2023

Animal-free cream cheese startup Bold Cultr has suddenly closed its doors, the company announced yesterday, following a “difficult” decision by parent company General Mills to deprioritize its funding. Revealing the news to fans on social media, Bold Cultr stated it began as a unique startup launched by G-Works, General Mills’ corporate venture studio, which was created to solve food-related consumer problems through experimental innovation. According to Bold Cultr, G-Works regularly reviews its innovation portfolio to evaluate its investments, and made the decision to deprioritize the brand’s funding, leading it to close operations on February 27. Recent partnership The company’s abrupt closure comes just over a month after announcing a collaboration with Israeli alt-dairy company Remilk. In January, the two companies unveiled a new cream cheese …

Organisations and brands:

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

9 Global Food Tech Leaders Join Forces to Launch The Precision Fermentation Alliance

February 22, 2023February 16, 2023

Today, nine leaders in precision fermentation announce they are coming together to establish the Precision Fermentation Alliance, a new trade organization to promote precision fermentation as a solution for a more resilient and sustainable food system. Intended to serve as an industry voice for the precision fermentation industry, the group’s founding members include Change Foods, The EVERY Co., Helaina, Imagindairy, Motif FoodWorks, New Culture, Onego Bio, Perfect Day, and Remilk. Precision fermentation involves the process of creating nature-identical versions of popular products and ingredients (like dairy and egg proteins) by utilizing the natural ability of microorganisms to turn sugars into proteins and other complex organic molecules. According to the Alliance, its members have aligned on the following goals: Promote understanding of precision fermentation technology. Build …

Organisations and brands:

©Elo Life Systems

Investments & Finance

Elo Life Systems Closes $24.5M in Series A for Zero-Calorie Sweetener Made from Watermelons

February 15, 2023February 15, 2023

Ingredients company Elo Life Systems announces the completion of its Series A financing round, which raised a total of $24.5M. The funding will enable the company to accelerate development of its fruit-derived sweeteners by advancing US regulatory approvals, building pilot-scale processing capabilities, and begin market-testing its sweetener with consumers. Described as a next-generation ingredients company, Elo uses molecular farming (similar to precision fermentation) to produce commercially valuable ingredients that are traditionally difficult to source and extract. Through its processes, Elo says it can make these ingredients more readily available, sustainable and affordable. One of its first innovations, a plant-based sweetener that is 300 times sweeter than sugar with no calories, has the potential to become more popular than Stevia, Elo states, and can be used …

Organisations and brands:

Elo Life Systems

Marketing & Media

Nurishh Offering $200 in ‘Cream Cheese Credit’ For Consumers Who Switch to Animal-Free Cream Cheese

February 28, 2023February 7, 2023

Nurishh Incredible Dairy, owned by Bel Brands USA, is offering US consumers a $200 financial credit and a chance to win a year’s supply of Nurishh Animal Free Cream Cheese for switching to its cheese. Similar to the use of ‘green’ credits for purchasing solar panels or driving electric cars, Nurishh aims to incentivize consumers to choose its more eco-friendly cream cheese, which features real dairy made without cows. Starting today, bagel and cream cheese lovers can apply for a chance to receive $200 in cash for making the switch to Nurishh, which is the first alternative dairy brand from Bel Brands USA. Developed in partnership with alt-dairy startup Perfect Day, Nurishh Animal Free Cream Cheese offers the same taste and texture as traditional cream cheese, …

Organisations and brands:

Bel Brands USA

Kroger

Nurishh

©The EVERY Co.

Investments & Finance

Anna Hathaway Invests in The EVERY Co. to Accelerate Chicken-Free Egg Proteins

February 2, 2023February 1, 2023

Food tech startup The EVERY Co. announces actress Anne Hathaway has invested in its animal-free egg platform for an undisclosed amount. The backing marks Hathway’s first B2B investment, and will help drive the company’s momentum as it prepares to expand into a variety of channels. According to EVERY, Hathaway was drawn to impact investing after making lifestyle adjustments to reduce her consumption of meat and single-use plastics. She cites EVERY’s impact, technology and nutrition advantages as key influences in her decision to support the company. “The need to transform our food system has never been clearer or more urgent,” shared Hathaway. “An important piece of the puzzle is in nature-equivalent animal proteins, such as EVERY has been developing. I’m proud to back this vision of …

Organisations and brands:

The EVERY Co.

Company News

Alt-Dairy Startup New Culture Appoints ‘Hu’ Chocolate CEO Mark Ramadan to Board of Directors

January 26, 2023

Animal-free cheese startup New Culture announces it is appointing Mark Ramadan, the CEO of leading chocolate brand Hu, to its Board of Directors. According to New Culture, Ramadan’s appointment marks the company’s next step as it prepares for its first public tastings of animal-free mozzarella, in preparation for a US launch in 2024. Ramadan is currently the CEO of Hu (pronounced “hue”), which is said to be America’s leading better-for-you chocolate brand. Imploring consumers to “Get Back to Human”, Hu sells a range of dairy-free chocolate bars made from a strict list of simple ingredients. Many of Hu’s chocolates are vegan as well as paleo and refined sugar-free. Prior to Hu, Mark was the co-founder and CEO of Sir Kensington’s, which produces a line of …

Organisations and brands:

New Culture

Sir Kensington's

liberation labs precision fermentation plant

Manufacturing & Technology

Liberation Labs to Develop “First Purpose-Built” Precision Fermentation Plant in the US

January 25, 2023

Liberation Labs Holdings, a large-scale precision fermentation contract manufacturer, announces it has acquired the land to develop its first commercial-scale biomanufacturing facility in the Midwest Industrial Park in Richmond, Indiana. The precision fermentation manufacturer expects to invest $115 million in the facility and plans to create an estimated 45 well-paying manufacturing jobs. According to Liberation Labs, it will be the first purpose-built commercial precision fermentation plant in the United States. The new facility will have a fermentation capacity of 600,000 liters with a fully dedicated downstream process (DSP), allowing the company to manufacture bio-based consumer products at a lower cost for the US market instead of relying on Europe’s production. Manufacturing precision fermentation proteins The company closed on a $20 million seed round of funding …

Organisations and brands:

Agronomics

Liberation Labs

©Unilever

Products & Launches

Unilever Adds Breyers Oat Milk and Talenti Dairy-Free Gelato to US Ice Cream Line

January 20, 2023

CPG giant Unilever, the world’s largest ice cream manufacturer, is expanding its US dairy-free ice cream offerings with a new range of innovations from Breyers and Talenti gelato. Legacy ice cream brand Breyers is rolling out Breyers Non-Dairy Vanilla – its first all-vanilla plant-based ice cream flavor. Featuring an upgraded formula made with real oat milk, Breyers Non-Dairy Vanilla is one of the first dairy-free ice creams to be offered in a large 1.5 quart tub. Since 2015, Breyers has sold a separate line of plant-based ice creams made with almond milk. Better gelato Another Unilever brand, Talenti, reveals it is adding a new selection of dairy-free gelato to its lineup. Crafted from cashew butter and oat milk, the Dairy-Free gelatos are said to match …

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Meet Modern Kitchen: “Uncompromising” Animal-Free Cream Cheese With Real Dairy Ingredients

January 21, 2023January 18, 2023

While plant-based cream cheese products continue to grow in size and diversity, Modern Kitchen is bringing something entirely new to the market: a non-animal cream cheese made with real dairy ingredients. Using Perfect Day’s animal-free whey protein, Modern Kitchen says it is taking a modern food tech approach to reinvent traditional foods without compromising on taste. By utilizing Perfect Day’s revolutionary protein, made with precision fermentation, the brand says its products reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 97% when compared to conventional dairy. First launched in 2022, Modern Kitchen sells a full lineup of lactose-free cream cheeses in several flavors, including a newly added “Plain” variety. Last year, the brand debuted in regional US grocery chains Harris Teeter and Market Basket. Made with a …

Organisations and brands:

©General Mills

General Mills Launches Bold Cultr Cream Cheese Made with Remilk Animal-Free Dairy

January 16, 2023

Alt-dairy startup Remilk announces global food giant General Mills is launching Bold Cultr Cream Cheese made with Remilk’s animal-free protein. Now available in the state of Minnesota, with wider distribution planned, the product marks Remilk’s first commercial collaboration. Described as a lactose-free, next-gen cream cheese alternative, Bold Cultr features Remilk’s dairy-identical proteins produced through precision fermentation. The cream cheese, currently available in a Plain variety, also prominently displays Remilk’s logo on its packaging. According to Remilk, this is the first of three cream cheeses the company will be launching, with new flavors such as Onion & Chive and Strawberry also in the works, reports CTech. “We provide raw material that allows companies to produce a product with the same taste and texture, and it will …

Organisations and brands:

Bold Cultr

Ingredients

One of World’s Biggest Dairy Companies to Bring Microbial Proteins to Market

January 10, 2023January 10, 2023

FrieslandCampina Ingredients, a branch of FrieslandCampina — one of the world’s largest dairy companies — announces a strategic partnership with specialist biotechnology company Triplebar to develop and manufacture at-scale microbial-derived proteins using precision fermentation technology. Together the two companies will use their experience and expertise to develop high-quality bioactive proteins for various applications. Accelerating the use of precision fermentation FrieslandCampina explains that precision fermentation biotechnology enables large-scale protein production using significantly less land, water, and energy, thus supporting sustainable goals. Managing Director of Innovation Anne Peter Lindeboom comments: “I’m certain that FrieslandCampina Ingredients and Triplebar will accelerate the use of precision fermentation as a nutritious and sustainable source of protein. By offering a full range of dairy and alternative proteins side by side, we aim …

Fermentation

Israel Innovation Authority to Establish New Precision Fermentation Infrastructure

January 4, 2023

The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) has announced a RFP (request for proposal) with the aim of establishing new infrastructure for precision fermentation. Specifically, the organisation is looking to construct facilities that use fermentation to produce alternative proteins. This is part of a national operational plan by the IIA to “maintain and expand the strength of its developmental ecosystem in the field of alternative proteins”. Israel’s food tech industry is an R&D priority The hope is that improved fermentation infrastructure could allow for increased production volumes, along with technical-economic viability experiments that are not currently possible in Israel. With the production of larger batches, companies will be able to conduct R&D and carry out consumer testing. Eventually, this could pave the way for the establishment of …

Organisations and brands:

Israel Innovation Authority

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information for decision-makers