Clean Food Group (CFG) has raised £2.5 million to accelerate the commercial launch of its precision fermentation-derived, non-GMO alternative to palm oil by 2025.

Chris Chuck – Yeast alternative to palm oil © University of Bath

Fermentation

Clean Food Group Secures £2.5M to Launch Non-GMO Alternative to Palm Oil by 2025

UK-based biotech firm Clean Food Group (CFG) has raised £2.5 million to accelerate the commercial launch of its yeast-derived, non-GMO alternative to palm oil by 2025. Said to be equivalent to high-oleic palm oil, CFG’s go-to-market product is designed as a drop-in ingredient suitable for baked goods, confectionery, and cosmetics applications. CFG believes it can introduce its novel food product to the UK and EU markets, as the regulatory process for non-GMOs is less strict than that for genetically modified foods. The UK VC Clean Growth Fund, which supports climate tech businesses that reduce carbon emissions and tackle the climate crisis, made this significant investment in CFG — bringing the company’s total raised funds to £13 million.  So far, CFG has received funding from the cell ag-focused VC …

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Crepes filled with animal-free cream

© Imagindairy

Fermentation

Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks Receive Grant to Accelerate the Launch of Cow-Free Dairy Proteins

Israeli animal-free dairy protein developer Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), a Boston-based biotech specializing in cell programming, announce a partnership to accelerate the introduction of a new wave of cow-free dairy. A joint grant from the Board of Governors of the Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has partly funded the companies’s multiyear program to commercialize non-whey dairy proteins. The collaboration will leverage Ginkgo Bioworks’ Protein Expression Services and Imagindairy’s process development and scale-up expertise to develop and manufacture animal-free whey cost-effectively to reach prices similar to dairy proteins.  Ginkgo is also working with the Chicago-based alt-seafood producer Aqua Cultured Foods to improve the economics and functions of its microbial strains for large-scale operations. Jennifer Wipf, CEO at Ginkgo Bioworks, shares, “Being awarded …

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Strive FREEMILK Whole, an alternative milk crafted with Perfect Day's whey protein, has launched in partnership with Florida coffee roasters Oceana Coffee at the 2024 Miami Open.

Image courtesy of Strive FREEMILK

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Strive Milk is Served at the Miami Open, Becoming First Animal-Free Milk at Major Sporting Event

Strive FREEMILK Whole, an alternative milk crafted with Perfect Day‘s sustainable whey protein, is being served in partnership with Florida coffee roasters Oceana Coffee at the 2024 Miami Open. This launch represents the first animal-free milk made with precision fermentation protein served at a major sporting event, marking a huge milestone for the alt dairy category, gaining mainstream visibility and recognition beyond just being available online or in stores. Strive Nutrition Corp., the company behind Strive FREEMILK, states that its “milk-like” product will revolutionize the coffee experience at the Miami Open thanks to its rich flavor, high protein content, sustainability, and ethical standards. MichaelAnn Cohlmia, Creative Director at Strive Nutrition, shared, “We are thrilled to introduce Strive FREEMILK to the tennis fans and coffee enthusiasts …

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Four cows in a field

© AF -stock.adobe.com

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Toronto Startups AuX Labs & Genuine Taste Join BioCreate Accelerator to Create Alternatives to Cheese and Beef

Two cutting-edge biotech startups from Ontario, Canada — AuX Labs and Genuine Taste — have been selected to join BioCreate, an accelerator program that supports innovative companies in the health, food, agriculture, and cleantech sectors. AuX Lab was founded in 2021 by Ted Jin to create affordable bioidentical animal proteins using precision fermentation and engineered yeasts. The company is working to develop yeast strains with high protein-yielding capabilities and a bioprocess fueled by low-cost feedstocks established in “capital-light” fermentation facilities.  AuX Lab’s first protein — milk casein — is used to create animal-free cheese with the same taste and melting and stretching functionalities as dairy cheese. The startup has raised $3 million in a seed round from investors Bluestein Ventures, Congruent Ventures, and Flying Fish Partners. Meanwhile, Genuine …

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Oobli, a Sweet protein developer from California, formerly Joywell Foods, has received what it claims to be the FDA's first "No questions" letter for a brazzein protein made with precision fermentation.

© Oobli

Fermentation

Oobli Receives FDA No Questions Letter for Oubli Fruit Sweet Protein Made with Precision Fermention

Oobli, formerly Joywell Foods, a sweet protein developer from California, USA, announces that it has received what it claims to be the FDA’s first “No questions” letter for its brazzein protein made with precision fermentation. The US Food and Drug Administration letter confirms Oobli’s self-affirmed GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status for Oubli Fruit Sweet Protein and supports its use as a food and beverage ingredient in the USA. Ali Wing, CEO of Oobli, shares, “The “No questions” letter from the FDA is a further testament to the strong potential that sweet proteins have to disrupt our global dependence on sugar and alternative sweeteners. The Oubli Fruit Sweet Protein can be safely used in various foods with support from the general scientific community and the …

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Raffael Wohlgensinger and Hille van der Kaa – Image courtesy of Those Vegan Cowboys

Cheese Alternatives

Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys Reveal “First-of-its-Kind” Collab to Expedite Production of Cow-Free Cheese

Two precision fermentation companies — Germany’s Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys from Belgium — today announce a strategic R&D alliance to accelerate the production of animal-free casein and finally retire cows from cheese production. This “first-of-its-kind” collaboration will bring together over 60 world-leading scientists to create a “powerful and experienced” research team that will improve technological efficiency, including efforts in strain engineering, bioprocessing, and large-scale production of caseins. The companies believe that by joining forces, they can more quickly achieve price parity with milk proteins, thus making cow-free cheese more competitive and accessible to consumers. The companies explain that they plan to combine their manufacturing outputs to achieve economies of scale; nevertheless, each firm will maintain its distinct identity and market its lines of cow-free …

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Cauldron raises $9.5M AUD Series A to scale its continuous hyper-fermentation technology

Michele Stansfield, co-founder and CEO of Cauldron © Cauldron Ferm

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Investors Back Cauldron’s Plans for Global Network of Precision Fermentation Facilities to Tune of $6.25M

Precision fermentation company Cauldron Ferm announces it has secured AUD 9.5 million ($6.25M) in a series A round led by Horizons Ventures. SOSV, In-Q-Tel, and previous investor Main Sequence also participated in the round, bringing Cauldron’s total raised funds to $20 million.  Precision fermentation is crucial for increasing food production without expanding agricultural land while it addresses sustainability and security issues. The United Nations predicts a 70% increase in food production by 2025 to support the rising population. Cauldron says that it aims to deploy its cost-effective, continuous fermentation technology in a network of worldwide rural facilities to develop biobased products and contribute to meeting the growing global food, cosmetics, and materials demand.  Chis Liu of Horizons Ventures, comments: “Precision fermentation is an amazing technology, because it enables bio based production of …

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A precision fermentation derived fat

Image courtesy of Melt&Marble

Fermentation

Melt&Marble Unlocks Commercial-Scale Production for Animal-Free Designer Fat, Sets Sights on US Market by 2025

Melt&Marble, a Swedish precision fermentation company that specializes in designer fats for food and other applications, has revealed new headquarters with expanded R&D and production capabilities. The facility features “state-of-the-art” molecular biology and microbiology labs, pilot-scale bioreactors, and a food application kitchen to test its “meat-like” fat in meat alternatives and other products. Melt&Marble says that it has already successfully scaled its production to one cubic meter. However, with the new capabilities, the company believes it will be able to achieve commercial-scale production beyond its previous milestone. Anastasia Krivoruchko, co-founder and CEO of Melt&Marble, says: “We are excited about the achievements to date. In the last months, we constantly improved key performance indicators related to rate, titre and yield, successfully achieving metrics relevant for commercial-scale and …

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Image courtesy of Swan Neck Bio

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Swan Neck Bio Launches FlexCell for Fast and Affordable Fermentation Scaling

Swan Neck Bio, a spin-off from White Labs Copenhagen, a global leader in fermentation since 1995, has officially entered the market to unlock the biomanufacturing capacity of precision fermentation and biomass companies. Headquartered in Copenhagen, with supporting labs and production capabilities in the USA (California and North Carolina), Swan Neck Bio leverages a patented “breakthrough” technology developed by White Labs.  Called FlexCell, the technology allows companies to trial, validate, and scale microorganisms from the lab to 1,000 L more quickly and affordably. Fábio Faria-Oliveira, CSO of the company, shares: “Our dream is a world where there are no constraints to the innovative biosolutions our world urgently needs if we’re going to support a constantly growing population.”  Scaling without risks Troels Prahl, a microbiologist with over 20 …

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Fermify's team

Fermify's team - Image courtesy of Fermify

Fermentation

Fermify Offers Animal-Free Casein Samples to Industry Partners to “Unlock” Dairy-Free Creations

Fermify, an Austrian precision fermentation company set to revolutionize dairy production, announces that it now provides industry companies with samples of its liquid form animal-free casein to create “groundbreaking” dairy-free products. Fermify’s casein is said to offer a purity level of 94%, while its functionality — taste, meltability, and structure — rivals that of animal-based proteins, as shown in successful pilot-scale testings.  With this initiative, Fermify aims to spark interest and collaboration to accelerate the development of animal-free cheese and dairy products that meet top-notch quality and functionality standards and taste great. “We eagerly anticipate the exciting possibilities that our samples will unlock in the traditional dairy industry, inspiring new creations and advancements in dairy product development,” states Fermify. Cost-effective production Founded in November 2021 …

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(Left to Right): Dirk Steinhäuser, Vice Head, Dresden Engineering Office of Glatt Group; Alaa Al Ali, Shareholder and Member of the Board of Novel Foods Group LLC; Matthew Robin, Member of the Board of Bioengineering AG.

(Left to Right): Dirk Steinhäuser, Vice Head, Dresden Engineering Office of Glatt Group; Alaa Al Ali, Shareholder and Member of the Board of Novel Foods Group LLC; Matthew Robin, Member of the Board of Bioengineering AG © Novel Foods Group

Fermentation

Novel Foods Group Reveals $500M Precision Fermentation Hub to Produce Brazzein

Novel Foods Group, an Abu Dhabi-based company producing sweet proteins, has announced a landmark agreement to build the first phase of a $500 million biotech production hub in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) focused on precision fermentation. The deal was signed between Novel Foods Group, which is a subsidiary of the investment conglomerate Gewan Holding, Glatt Group, a German expert in plant engineering, BioEngineering AG, a Swiss company specialized in engineering and design, and CB Consultancy AG, a Swiss company engineering solutions for cutting-edge industries. The new production site will initially develop brazzein, a sweet-tasting protein found in the fruit of the native West African Oubli plant, that is said to be significantly sweeter than sugar. Local people have used and eaten the fruit for many …

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Cellular Agriculture Australia (CAA) announces the release of a pioneering Regulation Resource Hub to help cell ag companies streamline their food safety application process for novel foods.

© Cellular Agriculture Australia (CAA)

Fermentation

This Week in Australia’s Cell Ag Sector: Cauldron Ferm and QUT Lead Efforts to Scale Precision Fermentation Production

We are covering this week’s developments in Australia’s cellular agriculture ecosystem, with Cauldron Ferm and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) leading efforts to establish a global infrastructure for scaling up precision fermentation production for the Asia-Pacific region. Cauldron Ferm Receives License to Produce Animal-Free Proteins at 10,000 L Scale Precision fermentation company Cauldron Ferm announces that it has received a license from the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) to produce animal-free proteins at a 10,000 L scale. The DIR200 license allows Cauldron to utilize its proprietary hyper-fermentation technology and Pichia Pastoris yeast to produce dairy, egg, and spider-silk proteins. The OGTR, part of the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care, conducted the pertinent risk and management assessments, determining that Cauldron’s hyper-fermentation process is …

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Vivici fermentation unit

© Vivici

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Global Biomanufacturing Capacity Must Grow 20X to Reach Industry Growth of $200 Billion by 2040, Says New Report

A recent report, co-authored by the New York-based biotech firm Synonym and Boston Consulting Group, has outlined a roadmap for the biomanufacturing industry, predicting a potential explosion to a $200 billion market in specialty sectors over the next ten years. The report Breaking the Cost Barrier on Biomanufacturing encourages the transition to biomanufacturing to address issues of sustainability and cost-efficiency in current industrial production methods. However, the report’s estimated $200 billion market value is focused on precision fermentation to produce food ingredients, chemicals, and chemical precursors. According to the authors, the figure is considered conservative and reflects only a fraction of the potential for growth within the industry. “The big problem—and the reason that precision fermentation remains an underused technology despite continuing advances in genome engineering and …

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New Culture block of grating cheese on chopping board

© New Culture

Fermentation

What is Precision Fermentation? Precision Fermentation Alliance and Food Fermentation Europe Reveal Expanded Definition 

Trade organizations the Precision Fermentation Alliance (PFA) and Food Fermentation Europe (FFE) have revealed a new expanded definition of precision fermentation (PF) to provide clarity on its unique characteristics, its differences from other fermentation-based technologies, and its applications. With biomass fermentation, traditional fermentation, and other technologies like molecular farming and plant cell culture emerging to make novel ingredients for food, the collaboration aims to help stakeholders, regulators, and consumers understand the basics of PF technology. Recently, precision fermentation has been in the spotlight, with various companies announcing the launch of animal-free dairy proteins, human milk fat analogs, and proteins for eggs. However, before its emergence for alt proteins, the technology has been safely used in food and medicine for over three decades to make insulin, rennet …

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Adamo Foods' fungi-based steak

© Adamo Foods

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

UK Government Invests £12M in Fermentation Hub for Alternative Proteins

The UK government has announced a £12 million investment in the Microbial Food Hub, a research centre focusing on fermentation-based foods to develop sustainable and innovative alternatives to animal products. Led by Dr. Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro at Imperial College London, the hub will explore technologies that use microorganisms, such as biomass fermentation to develop mycoproteins and precision fermentation to create bioidentical egg or dairy proteins and other ingredients. The hub will also explore traditional fermentation to improve the nutritional quality of plant-based foods. Experts from various universities, including the University of Reading, the University of Kent, the University of Aberystwyth, the University of Cambridge, and Rothamsted Research, will collaborate on the project along with industrial and food industry partners. The hub will receive the funds from …

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Fengru Lin, TurtleTree CEO and co-founder

Fengru Lin, TurtleTree CEO and co-founder © TurtleTree

Fermentation

TurtleTree Secures First-Ever Vegan Certification in Precision Fermentation Dairy

After obtaining self-GRAS status last November for its animal-free lactoferrin, LF+, TurtleTree, a Singaporean biotech company operating in California, USA, announces that the product has officially obtained vegan certification.  TrutleTree’s protein and manufacturing process has been certified by Vegan Action, the leading vegan certification provider in the US. The vegan stamp ensures that consumers can trust the absence of animal products, byproducts, and animal testing in their products. According to the Singaporean biotech, this milestone establishes it as the first precision fermentation dairy company globally to obtain vegan certification. Meanwhile, it also marks the first time that Vegan Action gives the stamp to a novel protein in its 24-year trajectory with more than 15,000 products Vegan Certified. Fengru Lin, CEO and co-founder of TurtleTree, comments: …

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Slice of pizza with melting New Culture cheese

© New Culture

Fermentation

New Culture Announces “World First” GRAS Status for Precision Fermentation Casein, Paving the Way for Animal-Free Mozzarella

Following a review by an independent panel of qualified scientific and toxicology experts, Californian animal-free cheese producer New Culture announces that it has self-affirmed its precision fermentation-derived casein as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).  New Culture claims this achievement marks the “world’s first” GRAS designation for animal-free casein, which allows it to sell its products containing casein in the USA. New Culture has yet to notify the FDA through the GRAS Notification Program. It is worth noting that this step is not mandatory; however, the FDA strongly encourages manufacturers to contact the agency by submitting a notice. Inja Radman, co-founder and CSO of New Culture, shares: “Having secured another ‘world’s first’ for our animal-free casein is a testament to the hard-working and innovative team we have …

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mushroom

©MycoTechnology

Fermentation

Food Ingredients from Precision Fermentation to Reach $31.2Bn with Mushrooms as Largest Segment

Market research firm Research and Markets has published a new trend report on the global precision fermentation ingredients market. According to the report, the global market could reach an estimated value of $31.2 billion by 2030, with a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42.6% between 2024 and 2030. The future of the global precision fermentation ingredients market looks promising, says the report, with opportunities in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and cosmetics markets. The key drivers for this market are increasing consumer demand for sustainable and ethically sourced ingredients, growing awareness of health benefits, and ongoing advances in biotechnology and fermentation processes. According to the authors of the new report, mushrooms will remain the largest segment in the market during the forecast period. …

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Yali Bio team

Yali Bio team © Yali Bio

Fermentation

Yali Bio Unveils Game-Changing Human Breast Milk Fat from Yeast, Set to Transform Nutritonal Value of Infant Formula

Yali Bio, a US biotech startup developing climate-smart ingredients using yeast in precision fermentation, announces a new game-changing development for infant nutrition: a bioidentical analog of human breast milk fat known as OPO. Yali Bio says that its yeast-derived OPO will optimize and enhance the nutritional value of infant formulas, improving infant health outcomes; according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 130 million newborn babies are fed infant formula at least partially. OPO, scientifically termed 1,3-dioleolyl-2-palmitate, is naturally found in high concentrations in breast milk and plays a crucial role in nutrient absorption and the overall health of infants. However, according to Yali Bio, a cost-effective source of OPO for infant formula has yet to be available, with most products relying on fats derived from …

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Remilk has become the first company to receive the green light in Canada for a precision fermentation-derived protein.

Image courtesy of Remilk

Fermentation

Remilk Receives No Objections Letter for Sale of Animal-Free Milk Protein, Heralding “New-Dairy Revolution” in Canada

Israeli biotech company Remilk announces that it has obtained Health Canada’s “Letter of No Objection,” allowing the use and commercialization of its animal-free milk protein called BLG within Canada. With this achievement, Remilk has become the first company to receive the green light in the country for a precision fermentation-derived protein.  According to the announcement, Health Canada conducted a thorough evaluation and deemed Remilk’s animal-free protein safe for consumption. As a result, Canada has opened the door for new dairy products, including milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cream cheese, made with novel proteins instead of traditional milk proteins. “This is an important day for us at Remilk, and a historic one for Canada as it opens its doors to the new-dairy revolution. We developed a strategic roadmap for …

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