Bel Group and Standing Ovation deal centers on “holy grail” of dairy-free cheese alternatives

16 Nov 2022 --- Bel Group, which is behind major cheese brands like Babybel, The Laughing Cow and Boursin, is leveraging precision fermentation technology from Standing Ovation to incorporate dairy-free casein protein in Bel’s alternative cheese offerings.

The deal closely follows Bel acquiring an equity stake in Standing Ovation in September.

Bel Group continue its push into plant-based alternatives to dairy by releasing a new form of precision fermented, dairy-free protein, which they hope will finally solve the problem of sustainable cheese alternatives.

Paris-based Standing Innovation has created a process that claims to mimic the taste and texture of dairy-based cheeses. 

This continues to be a major challenge for plant-based alternatives in the dairy sector. 

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, co-founder of Standing Ovation, Frédéric Paques explains how the growing appetite for plant-based alternatives is pushing the needle in technological developments that create novel solutions with improved taste. 

“Casein is the holy grail for the production of alternative options that match conventional products in terms of nutritional value, taste and texture,” he says.

“Consumers are craving for non-animal cheeses that really taste like cheese. “They also expect the product to be good for their health, which means protein-rich, and for many people, lactose-free. Casein made by fermentation is not the objective per se; it is the way to meet these demands.” 

Bel hopes to stand out by investing specifically in scaleable alternatives that offer consumers a reassuringly low environmental impact. The challenge of taste 
Replicating the flavor and texture of dairy-based cheese has long proved difficult. Still, Bel Group and Standing Ovation claim this process has largely solved the problem while also answering the growing consumer demand for increased nutritional value. 

The partnership is based on a newly developed form of high-yield, precision fermentation, continues Paques. 

“Standing Ovation uses precision fermentation to reproduce proteins identical to those found in cow’s milk: caseins. In practical terms, this means using microorganisms, instead of animals, to produce these proteins. However, caseins are notoriously difficult to produce, and we had to develop a specific, proprietary, high-yield process.”

Feeding the future 
The timing of this partnership comes as COP27 enters its last few days in Egypt where future food and the changes needed in production systems has been in the spotlight. 

The diversification of quality protein resources is essential to feed a growing population, projected to reach ten billion by 2050. Just yesterday, the world population was said to have officially passed eight billion.

Bel Group has heard the consumer demand for dairy-free alternatives and a desire for healthy snacking and has put all its chips on precision fermentation as a solution. 

Earlier this year, Bel Venutres entered into strategic collaboration with Superbrewed Food, a start-up that specializes in postbiotic cultured proteins. 

“Our proprietary casein production process has proved to scale easily,” adds Paques. “Today, casein production is at kg scale. We plan to produce at ton scale in 2023 and to be commercial in 2024.” 

Alternative proteins rise 
Bel is not the only group trying to stake its claim on the alternative proteins market. A report earlier this year revealed a record-breaking US$1.7 billion investment in alternative proteins in the first half of 2022. 

Within this push, Bel hopes to stand out by investing specifically in scaleable alternatives that offer consumers a reassuringly low environmental impact.Bel hopes to stand out by investing specifically in scaleable alternatives that offer consumers a reassuringly low environmental impact. 

“We go further by proposing a manufacturing process that is more respectful of the environment and based on plant raw materials produced by local agriculture,” Anne Pitowski, research & applications director, Group Bel, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Bel & Standing Ovation’s collaboration is definitely key to answering the consumer expectations in terms of pleasure and to tackle the sustainability challenge addressed to the food industry.”

Innova Market Insights highlights how plant-based eating is expanding its customer base – it’s not about cutting meat and dairy entirely. Plant-based innovation is diversifying beyond traditional categories, while there are many ways to approach nutrition in plant-based substitutes.

The market researcher notes a 14% increase in the launch of dairy alternatives from 2017 to 2021, also noting a slow but clear uptick in the demand for non-dairy cheese.

“Precision fermentation offers several opportunities, such as improving the nutritional aspect of plant based cheese, reducing the environmental footprint of dairy portions and bringing dairy proteins to areas which have no direct access to milk. We are at the beginning of the exploration- no doubts that new products and innovation will arise from precision fermentation produced caseins,”concludes Pitowski.

By James Davies