Fi Europe Innovation Awards 2025: Diving into the dairy alternative finalists

In a series of features, Food Ingredients First takes a look at the upcoming Fi Europe Innovation Awards categories and finalists, ahead of the event in Paris, France (Dec 2–4). Industry experts have evaluated and shortlisted entries (23 finalists across six categories). The winners will be revealed at the Fi Europe Celebration and Awards ceremony on December 2.

Here, we examine the Dairy Alternative Innovation Award finalists. This category recognizes an organization or company that has developed the best plant-based dairy alternative ingredient or an application based on such an ingredient. 

Judges look for innovations with impressive sensory and physical properties, as well as application costs, and give preference to those innovations introduced within the last two years.

Ajinomoto Foods Europe: Activa DA

Vegan or plant-based dairy is gaining momentum, but some challenges persist in the space as manufacturers strive to bridge the gap between traditional cheese and plant-based alternatives. 

One of the biggest consumer complaints about vegan cheese is that it doesn’t melt or stretch like dairy. 

Ajinomoto Foods Europe offers a solution to make plant-based cheese compete more effectively in categories traditionally dominated by dairy cheese.

Ajinomoto Foods Europe’s Activa DA improves firmness, elasticity, and sliceability in cold plant-based cheese.Its solution, Activa DA, is formulated to improve firmness, elasticity, and sliceability in cold applications. The ingredient also enhances melt behavior and stretch after heating, supporting more authentic cheese performance in plant-based products. It is particularly useful for applications like pizzas and gratins.

The company developed Activa DA as a blend of three enzymes to improve the structure and functionality of plant-based, semi-hard cheeses. Activa DA is part of Ajinomoto’s broader Activa line, which uses transglutaminase to cross-link proteins, enhancing texture, binding, and stability in several different foods. Cross-linking proteins means the cheese structure holds up better during cooking.

The Time Travelling Milkman: Oleocream

Founded in 2020 as a spin-off from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, The Time Travelling Milkman is a Dutch food tech start-up focused on plant-based dairy fat solutions.

Shortlisted for this award is Oleocream, a fat ingredient derived from oleosomes (natural oil droplets found in plant seeds, especially sunflower seeds). The patented extraction and formulation process preserves the natural structure of oleosomes, mimicking the behavior of milk fat in food systems.

The ingredient is designed to be efficient in high-heat, fermentation, and low-acidity applications, and crucially, it boasts creaminess comparable to dairy fat.

“Oleocream is based on natural oleosomes, tiny oil droplets found in sunflower seeds that are surrounded by a protein-phospholipid membrane. These structures are nature’s own emulsions and remarkably similar to dairy fat globules. Where the rest of the industry is breaking these structures, our process is preserving this native architecture,” Tasso Skerletidis, sales manager at The Time Travelling Milkman, tells Food Ingredients First.

The Time Travelling Milkman uses a patented extraction and formulation process which helps mimic the behavior of milk fat in food systems.“Oleocream is standardized to be a one-to-one replacer of dairy cream and delivers the same creamy texture associated with dairy fats, without the need for saturated fats. The result is indulgent creaminess that’s both healthier and much more sustainable than the dairy equivalent.”

Skerletidis points out that some current plant-based creams and dairy alternatives on the market often fall short in terms of mouthfeel and texture because they lack a proper fat structure. 

“Oleocream was designed to close that gap. It enhances creaminess and flavor perception, reduces the need for additives, and enables lower-saturated-fat formulations. We’re now tackling another challenge, which is price, as dairy cream is expected to become much more expensive. Once fully scaled, Oleocream will have a lower cost than dairy cream does today.”

“We’re thrilled and honored to be recognized among such innovative companies. This nomination validates years of research into unlocking nature’s own fat technology and reinforces our belief that plant-based doesn’t have to mean a compromise in pleasure.” 

Lallemand Bio-Ingredients: Engevita Hipro Beyond

Engevita Hipro Beyond was developed to overcome the typical formulation challenges associated with high-protein dairy alternatives — primarily off-flavors and undesirable texture. Lallemand aimed to provide a protein source that offers high nutritional value and a pleasant sensory experience.

“This is a neutral-tasting, high-value yeast protein with a complete amino acid profile and excellent digestibility. Unlike many other proteins, it does not contain anti-nutritional factors and shows minimal interaction with other food matrix components — meaning it doesn’t gel, thicken, or alter texture,” Silvia Soragni, category manager for Savory Ingredients at Lallemand Bio-Ingredients, tells us.

Lallemand Bio-Ingredients offers a neutral-tasting, high-value yeast protein to tackle off-flavors and undesirable texture in high-protein alt-dairy.“We selected the dairy alternative category as a key focus because consumer interest in convenient, high-protein beverages continues to grow. Inspired initially by the stabilizing know-how of ICL, our industry partner, and later refined through our own Applied R&D expertise, we were able to formulate high-protein beverages with Engevita HiproRO Beyond at a consistent and nutritionally functional dosage.”

The solution’s ability to disperse easily in liquid systems allows formulators to achieve a consistent, pleasant texture and smooth mouthfeel even at high protein concentrations. Soragni highlights this combination of taste and functionality as part of what makes Engevita Hipro distinctive and supported by a patent-pending production process developed by Lallemand’s innovation team.

Soragni also highlights how high-protein dairy alternatives continue to expand as consumers seek products that balance nutrition, taste, and sustainability. Lallemand sees opportunity across all three categories — performance nutrition beverages, everyday dairy alternatives, and functional wellness drinks.

“There is also a demand in hybrid dairy alternatives, where brands aim to deliver optimized, nutritionally balanced protein intake. Engevita Hipro Beyond fits naturally within those segments thanks to its high protein content, complete amino acid profile, and excellent digestibility.” 

“Being a finalist is a great opportunity to showcase once again the uniqueness and benefits that our ingredient can bring to the F&B industry. I am truly happy for the collective effort behind this breakthrough innovation, which marks our first step into the protein market and opens a new category within our portfolio,” says Soragni.

Lípidos Santiga: Kaolip Duo

Kaolip Duo is another finalist in the Dairy Alternative Innovation Award at Fi Europe 2025. The solution is from the Spanish company Lipidos Santiga, which specializes in vegetable oils and fats.

Lípidos Santiga’s plant-based milk-fat alternative can replace traditional milk fat in coatings for chocolates or sweets.It is specifically highlighted for being an “innovative milk fat alternative for superior confectionery coatings” because it is a plant-based milk-fat alternative that enables “dairy-like” coatings in vegan or dairy-free products.

The ingredient targets plant-based formulations in confectionery coatings for chocolate and enrobed products, which often rely on milk fat for certain textural and melting properties.

Kaolip Duo is plant-based, allergen-free, and free from lactose and trans fats. It’s designed to be used in confectionery coatings, meaning it can replace traditional milk fat in coatings for chocolates or sweets. The ingredient also allows for harder, more stable coatings than traditional milk fat coatings, thanks to faster crystallization and a lower risk of fat bloom.

Lipidos Santiga’s confectionery portfolio includes various fat ranges for coatings, such as cocoa butter equivalents and anti-blooming fats.