Animal-free advances: Investment propels Standing Ovation’s precision fermentation-based casein

17 Sep 2024 --- French protein company Standing Ovation has netted €3.75 million (US$4.16 million) in funds to ramp up the development and sales of its precision fermentation-based casein protein for dairy applications. 

Its flagship ingredient — Advanced Casein — targets the needs of vegan and lactose intolerant consumers and can be used in products requiring milk or milk powder, whether that involves cow, buffalo, goat or sheep milk proteins.

The development comes as the F&B industry sharpens its focus on developing animal-free alternatives to casein, touted as the “star protein” in milk and a vital ingredient in turning milk into other dairy products like cheese, ice cream, yogurt and milk foam. The advancements stem from a consumer demand for sustainable ingredients that align with health goals.

Food Ingredients First speaks with Romain Chayot, the company’s co-founder and managing director, to learn more about how the protein is developed, its applications and how the company plans to upscale its production.

“Despite the booming growth in plant-based dairy substitutes now on the market, plant-based proteins struggle to convince consumers because they fall short of the original in terms of taste, texture and nutritional values. Thus, we created Standing Ovation to provide the food industry with alternative, animal-free proteins that are kinder to the environment.”

Due to the complex nature of casein molecules, most fermentation players for dairy proteins focus on whey protein, says co-founder Romain Chayot.“The first product we developed for the dairy sector is casein, because this is the primary protein in milk, which provides vital curdling, stretching and melting properties for dairy products.”

The company is now in the process of securing the regulatory approval needed to distribute its Advanced Casein powder in the US, Asia and Europe. It plans to sell the product in the US by 2025.

Scaling production

Chayot believes this is the right time for the food tech company to accelerate toward mass production and distribution of Advanced Casein in the global agri-food market.

“To enter this new chapter of our development, we have appointed Yvan Chardonnens, a renowned pioneer in developing new products that meet both industrial challenges and consumer demand, as our new CEO.”

Chardonnens’ previous experiences include roles in Oterra, flavor giant Firmenich, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), Barry Callebaut and plant-based ingredient manufacturer Roquette. 

With the new appointment, the company aims to step up its development by obtaining the necessary regulatory approval and strengthening the go-to-market strategy and large-scale industrial production.

The company notes that it will complete preparations for industrial-scale production by the end of this year.

Mimicking traditional dairy

Standing Ovation’s caseins are formulated using its innovative and patented precision fermentation process, which manufacturers can combine with other plant-based or mineral ingredients to create non-animal, lactose-free dairy products on an industrial scale, explains Chayot.

The ingredient mimics casein, the key protein in milk that turns it into other dairy products like cheese, ice cream and yogurt.These products “have the same functional, nutritional, taste and texture qualities as traditional dairy products like cheese, yogurt, ice cream and milk drinks.”

The casein alternative is also marketed as a “sustainable and highly efficient” solution to address systemic challenges within the food system.

“Advanced Casein emits ten times less CO2 than animal-derived milk proteins, enables efficient use of water and land, and is free from antibiotics and GMO traces, all while ensuring consumers the same nutritional, functional and taste qualities as protein originating from livestock.”

Beyond whey protein

Precision fermentation technology draws on microbiology and engineering to produce an array of organic molecules (including proteins, enzymes, flavors, vitamins and pigments) in a fermenter using a wide range of microorganisms (such as yeast, bacteria, algae and fungi).

“The technique is already used in the dairy industry to produce rennet, various trace elements in milk and beta-lactoglobulin in whey,” says Chayot.

However, he flags that the “complex nature of casein molecules makes them very difficult to produce, leading the vast majority of players in the fermentation market for dairy proteins to focus on whey protein.”

“We have already used precision fermentation to produce numerous prototypes of finished products, including soft cheeses, hard cheeses and spreadable cheeses, as well as yogurts, ice creams, protein bars, mousses and spreads.”

The priority is to step up the protein’s development with regulatory approval and strengthen the go-to market strategy, says Yvan Chardonnens, the new CEO.The company has filed seven patent families spanning the entire value chain, from the substrate for fermentation to the fermenting agent that produces the casein and the purification process that yields the end product ready for industrial use.

Government backing

Standing Ovation is recognized for its strategic potential to safeguard France’s dairy sovereignty, underscores Chayot.

“As a laureate of the first edition of the French Tech 2030 Program, we have received the French government backing to begin our industrialization phase as part of the ‘Agrifood Resilience and Capacity’ project, in line with the country’s commitment to innovate for healthy, sustainable and traceable food,” he explains.

The company also signed a strategic partnership with the multinational cheese marketer Bel Group in 2022 to incorporate its dairy-free casein protein in Bel’s alternative cheese offerings.

By Insha Naureen