Precision fermentation is fast becoming a key part of the world of food. More precise than traditional or biomass fermentation, it’s a tool through which to develop flavours, vitamins, plant-based proteins and other speciality ingredients.
Dairy major, Danone, is one of the key players in this space. As well as building infrastructure to help start-ups scale precision fermentation, the company is exploring the area in its own research.
Exploring precision fermentation
Danone explores novel technologies, including precision fermentation, that can be used to improve the food system at its Paris-Saclay innovation centre in France.
And not only is Danone exploring precision fermentation technologies, it’s also investing in start-ups, such as Israeli tech company Imagindairy, which specialise in it.
Global protein supply is probably “the biggest tension that we have for protecting the food system,” explains Emmanuel Perrin, senior director of advanced technology ingredients at Danone.
Precision fermentation, he says, can develop animal-free proteins which are complimentary to animal protein, rather than a replacement. This is important as the world’s population is rapidly expanding, increasing demand for protein sources.
However, for the moment, precision fermentation remains ‘exploratory’ for Danone.
“It’s not about market landing yet,” explains Perrin. The issue of scalability has not been overcome, regulatory approval has yet to be fully achieved, and it’s not yet clear whether the consumer demand is strong enough. Nevertheless, Perrin is confident it’s worth pursuing.
“What we know [is that] consumers are looking for healthy food. They are more conscious about how nutrition can impact their short term and long term health. And those technologies can play a role.”
Library of ferments
The Paris-Saclay innovation centre also contains one of the world’s largest libraries of ferments, containing 1,900 strains.
The library is ‘a bit of a treasure’ for Danone, says Perrin. It has enormous functional potential.
“Each of the ferments will be used within specific processes to deliver special benefits.” These “can be taste, [and they] can be texture.”
For example, to develop Activia, one of its key products, Danone uses a complex mix of strains from its library.
The ferments library is used within the process of researching precision fermentation.
Working with start-ups
Imagindairy was only the beginning. In a partnership with Michelin, DMC Technologies and the bank Crédit Agricole, Danone is also building a production facility to help start-ups upscale precision fermentation production.
Because so few start-ups have access to the kind of scale required to develop precision fermentation-derived products, Danone’s facility aims to help them overcome this ‘valley of death’ by providing scalability.
The valley of death is the period in which start-ups when they have begun operations but are not yet generating revenue.
Precision fermentation technology has improved in efficiency. One of the reasons for this is the gene editing technology CRISPR-Cas9, explains Perrin. AI also improves the speed and efficiency of microorganisms in precision fermentation.
The cost to use the technology, at least at the proof of concept stage, is getting significantly cheaper. Scaling is more difficult, but research continues to be conducted in this area.