Mediterranean Food Lab founder: Unlocking fermentation for animal-free stocks in culinary industry

Chefs and scientists at Israeli start-up Mediterranean Food Lab (MFL) have launched SHO — a range of fermented, meatless culinary ingredients using solid state fermentation technology. Designed “by cooks, for cooks,” these innovative products are formulated using grains, legumes and vegetables and capture the rich, complex and full-bodied flavors traditionally found in meat and bone-based stocks.

Stocks are rich, flavorful liquids made by simmering bones from meat, fish, or poultry, along with vegetables and seasonings and are considered to be the foundation for making soups and sauces. 

MFL’s stock SHO is marketed as a 1:1 replacement for these traditional stocks to elevate both meat and non-meat culinary creations.

Food Ingredients First sits down with Yair Yosefi, chef and co-founder of The Mediterranean Food Lab, to unlock the ingredients’ use in the culinary industry and discuss how it replicates meat-like flavors.

“Mediterranean Food Lab was created six years ago by a group of food enthusiasts and chefs. The idea was to solve big issues in the food ecosystem, such as the high consumption of food, salt, animal protein, and most importantly, ultra-processed food,” he tells us.

“We are creating a new flavor house with completely different values than other companies in the flavor industry, with what we call real food flavors, based on some crucial fundamentals.”

MFL uses solid state fermentation to create stocks for use in soups, sauces and risottos (Image credit: MFL).The company sharpened its focus on creating flavors that are “honest and delicious by innovation,” which led it to explore solid-state fermentation (SSF) technology. Though well-known in the East, SSF technology remains “almost unutilized” in the West, according to Yosefi. 

“It’s an amazing technology that can create real food flavor made from real, honest ingredients, like grains, legumes and oilseeds using a cutting edge patented fermentation technology with expertise of the best chefs.”

The company also utilizes side streams from the sunflower oil and coffee industry and ferments them, resulting in a “rich, complex and potent base of any kitchen, which is stocks,” he explains.

Fermentation to flavor

SSF is a method in which culinary microorganisms grow on solid materials without free-flowing water. The process mimics the natural environments in which these microorganisms evolved, allowing them to interact with various nutrients and conditions. This produces a wide range of flavors and aromas and a deep, multi-layered, “slow-cooked flavor profile.”

“When you use solid-state fermentation to break down big molecules of grains and legumes in this process, you get a lot of amino acids and fatty acids. Those are very flavor-rich molecules that contribute to this effect of long-cooked mouthfeel and mouth-watering effect,” explains Yosefi. The enzymes used in the process are part of the process and are created biologically through fermentation.

The resulting molecules produce a stock that captures the essence of meatiness, umami, and koku and give SHO the bold, complex flavor typically found only in meat-based products, states MFL. 

The company conducted intensive R&D with its team of scientists, mycologists, chemical analysts and process engineers while trying to replicate meat-like flavors.

“There are many possibilities and possible substrates. There are many kinds of grains, legumes, and vegetables that you can ferment, and various microorganisms are relevant. So we needed the right matrix and the substrate, which took years of research,” Yosefi shares.

“Umami bomb”

MFL’s SHO stock range includes two flagship products. The Concentrated Dark Stock is a “umami bomb,” replicating the meaty flavors and rich mouthfeel of beef stock. It can be used in soups and stews, sauces, braises, pastas, or any dishes requiring beef stock.

The name SHO is inspired by the French kitchen term “chaud” (hot), reflecting the heat of professional cooking.The Concentrated Light Stock has an “umami-forward” flavor profile, with delicate notes of poultry and aromatic herbs. Chefs can add it to soups, sauces, risottos and stir-fry foods.

The name SHO is inspired by the French kitchen term “chaud” (hot), reflecting the heat of professional cooking and the energy it brings to the kitchen. Cooks in kitchens exclaim “Chaud” to warn colleagues when they pass behind them carrying a hot pot — capturing SHO’s “vibrant and essential role in the culinary world.”

Yosefi further reflects on the concept of “culinarity” in foodservice, highlighting its role as the “foundation” of every dish and recipe. He believes it brings simplicity and drives repeat purchases. 

However, while creating culinary experiences at home or in small settings is common, achieving this at an industrial scale involves constant research into market gaps and customer needs, he notes. 

“To create ‘culinarity’ at scale in the industry, you need to understand what the market is looking for, and we are researching all the time on what is missing in the market and what our customers are looking for.”

Replacing conventional stocks

MFL claims its SHO range can be used as a natural, fermented and additive-free substitute for usual stock in the culinary industry. It is also low in sodium and contains no added sugar.

“In almost every region or culinary culture, you would find different stocks based on animal protein and some aromatics and vegetables. We are replacing what is currently used by the foodservice industry, such as products by big players, which are made using flavors,” underscores Yosefi.

“Those are very ultra-processed products, with a lot of salt, sugars, maltodextrin, palm oil, etc, and some animal protein as well. We’re replacing this with a product based on a clear, honest list of ingredients, grains and legumes, like chickpeas and sunflower.”

SHO Concentrated Light Stock has poultry and aromatic herb notes for use in soups, sauces and risottos (Image credit: MFL).Innova Market Insights data indicates that nearly 58% of global consumers prioritize ingredient quality when making F&B purchases. Additionally, 25% are hesitant to buy overly processed plant-based products.

Meeting consumer demands

MFL’s stocks have been well-received by chefs across France, Germany and the Netherlands. In taste tests, chefs consistently preferred SHO over competitors’ products — even those made with animal protein, claims MFL.

Meanwhile, Yosefi believes “deliciousness” of the products is paramount for companies. “If it’s not extremely delicious, it will fail. We use deliciousness as an enabling tool to shift people from consuming ultra-processed, mediocre products to using SHO.”

The company is B2B-focused, investing resources in creating high-quality, scalable products for professional kitchens. It plans to expand its product range based on market research and chef feedback. 

Last year, the start-up raised US$17 million in funding to scale its novel solid-state fermentation technology for creating flavor ingredients. It operates a production hub in the Netherlands and a development team in Paris.