Advancements in precision fermentation pave the way for protein innovation

07 Aug 2024 --- Precision fermentation is gaining ground in food innovation. With demands rising for sophisticated ways of delivering protein, this method is becoming an increasingly important way for the world to access abundant volumes of high-quality protein for nutrition and food with a considerably lower global footprint. 

We speak with key players in the precision fermentation space, Hydrosol, 21st.Bio and Imagindairy to find out about the latest developments.

A “promising area” 
Katharina Burdorf, team lead product management at Hydrosol, underscores that when we think of alternative ingredients for a sustainable food supply, precision fermentation is one of the most “promising areas.”

“Intensive research is currently being carried out in various countries around the world. The spectrum ranges from proteins such as specific milk proteins, egg proteins or heme proteins to fats. This also shows the versatility of possible applications for such ingredients across various product categories.”

Burdorf shares that up until now, traditional cheese production, in particular, has benefited from this, as microbial rennet, which has been produced in this way for many years, has enabled advantages such as consistent quality and a reduction in price.

“For example, precision-fermented proteins that correspond to animal proteins at the molecular level can exhibit very comparable properties and functions. This makes them particularly interesting for further processing, in which the functional properties of proteins play an important role,” she comments. “For instance, in otherwise purely plant-based products such as vegan cheese alternatives for pizza, these ingredients can achieve a stretch that is familiar from the animal original and remains unmatched in the plant-based version.”

Market integration 
Meanwhile, for Eyal Afergan, co-founder and CEO at Imagindairy, an Israeli food-tech start-up crafting “authentic” dairy proteins without cows, precision fermentation is currently experiencing “a surge of activity and interest.”

“Numerous companies are entering the market,” he says. “Unlike some other emerging food technologies, precision fermentation has reached a level of maturity that makes it ripe for commercialization for bulk ingredients. The timing is opportune as technological advancements and consumer demand for sustainable alternatives converge.”

While the industry faces challenges in scaling and cost reduction, the regulatory landscape is evolving to accommodate these innovations, Afergan remarks. “As precision fermentation moves toward wider adoption, collaborations between precision fermentation companies and established food manufacturers are becoming more common, signaling the technology’s readiness for market integration.”

Precision fermentation is benefiting a wide range of F&B sectors due to its versatility and long-established safety record.According to 21st.Bio’s co-founder and CEO Thomas Schmidt, there are “many companies out there making fantastic molecule innovations for the production of food with precision fermentation.”

He believes that the key issue for most players — beyond having a great molecule and a strong commercial reach — is getting access to an industrially proven technology platform for producing food with precision fermentation.

The need for protein 
The current high-protein trend is not expected to fade, according to 21st.Bio.

“However, the world needs more high-quality protein than we have access to today. Major food and nutrition players such as Nestlé, Danone and Abbott are betting more on high-protein products for their development,” comments Schmidt.

“They are aiming at fast-growing strategic markets such as weight management and elderly nutrition. Most products launched contain whey proteins — and it makes sense,” he enthuses.

“The major whey protein, beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), is highly nutritious and attractive in its amino acid composition. That’s why we started our first development program with this protein.”

Enabling future innovation
Meanwhile, Imagindairy’s Afergan notes that precision fermentation is “already used in producing ingredients like human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and food enzymes like rennet, proving its reliability and safety over time.”

“Today, it can be applicable to numerous F&B categories via ingredients such as alternative proteins like dairy and egg, specialty fats, food colorings and flavoring compounds. From plant-based meats requiring specific proteins to novel dairy-free products needing milk-identical components, precision fermentation is enabling innovation across the board, offering both functional and nutritional benefits to various food categories, asserts Afergan.

Despite some scale-up challenges, the industry is making steady progress in addressing issues, paving the way for broader adoption of precision fermentation in the F&B sector. The regulatory landscape is evolving to accommodate precision fermentation-based products, with more regulatory authorities worldwide approving these products for consumption.

Imagindairy is advancing in this space by utilizing its proprietary AI platform, which was developed for over 15 years at Tel Aviv University, Israel.

“This platform helps us detect the specific adjustments that need to be made in our microorganisms to amplify protein expression. This allows us to produce our proteins at a commercial scale, at costs that are in line with traditional dairy,” explains Afergan. “By unlocking the massive potential of sustainable dairy production, Imagindairy makes mass-market adoption a feasible reality.”

Imagindairy is producing dairy proteins with a type of filamentous fungi used in soy sauce.Molecules, microorganisms & enzymes
Hydrosol’s Burdorf supports this notion. She says: “Theoretically, all kinds of molecules can be produced using precision fermentation, which opens up countless possibilities for the production of new ingredients. The use of novel technologies such as AI can also advance the development of precision fermented ingredients in the future by optimizing microorganisms and processes.”

Also commenting on specific areas of microorganisms and functional ingredients that Imagindairy is working with, Afergan says Imagindairy is producing dairy proteins with a type of filamentous fungi called Aspergillus Orayze (also known as Koji mold), which is already part of food systems today.

“This fungus is used today to produce foods like koji, miso and soy sauce.”

Looking ahead, 21st.Bio’s Schmidt believes the possibilities in precision fermentation are “vast.”

“This method of precision fermentation is already commonly used in the food industry to produce enzymes, vitamins, flavors and additives. Over time, we will see accelerated innovation of nutritional and functional molecules, and precision fermentation will become a core technology for unleashing this potential,” he concludes.

By Elizabeth Green