In collaboration with EggField, Pasta Premium is launching a new generation of cook-stable, plant-based pasta. The products will be introduced under the ERNST brand and combine the firm bite of traditional pasta with a fully plant-based formulation. They have been specifically developed for use in gastronomy, catering, and food service.

The new ERNST pasta is based on durum wheat semolina and aquafaba (legume cooking water), a by-product of legume processing. It replaces key functionalities of egg, enabling pasta with a stable structure and high cooking, holding, and regeneration performance—critical for professional kitchen environments. With this development, Pasta Premium also responds to volatile egg availability while offering a resource-efficient and long-term stable alternative.

“Our legume-based ingredient delivers the functionality of egg—without compromising on sensory quality. The collaboration with Pasta Premium shows that even in pasta applications, sustainable, scalable, and high-performing solutions are possible,” says Silvan Leibacher, CEO and co-founder of EggField. For ERNST pasta, the focus was not only on product quality but also on real-world applicability.

“What mattered most was a solution that works in everyday professional kitchens and is future-proof,” says Sarah Anderhub, Head of Marketing at ERNST pasta. “The new products allow our customers to simplify their assortment, respond flexibly to different dietary needs, and consistently deliver high quality. At the same time, they rely on an innovative Swiss product with a compelling price-performance ratio—both from a quality and economic perspective.”

Traditional egg-based recipes are not being replaced; rather, EggField enables, for the first time, the production of cook-stable pasta without the addition of egg white. For food service operators, this simplifies both offerings and processes: the pasta serves as a single solution across different dietary requirements—from conventional to plant-based. In addition, removing egg as an allergen simplifies labeling, procurement, and storage—without requiring changes in kitchen processes or recipes.

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Cosaic, the Swiss food biotech startup developing yeast-derived multifunctional ingredients, today announced a $6 million round. The round includes participation from dsm-firmenich Ventures, the venture arm of dsm-firmenich, a global leader in Health, Nutrition and Beauty. Also joining the round are a large Swiss family office and Kickfund, a Swiss deeptech investor,  as well as existing investors such as Navus Ventures and Zuercher Kantonalbank. In a tougher funding environment, this round shows that investors continue to support foodtech companies when the technology is distinctive and the commercialization plan is realistic.

Cosaic is developing a new category of food ingredients based on yeast fermentation. Its platform is designed to help food and beverage manufacturers deliver creaminess, stability and functionality in a single ingredient, addressing formulation challenges that have traditionally required multiple components and additives. This investment signals growing industry interest in ingredient platforms that move beyond one-to-one replacement narratives and instead offer measurable functional value to manufacturers.

The round will support three priorities over the coming phase of growth to become market ready: regulatory work, production scale-up, and industrial trials with large clients.

"This round sends a clear signal: the market is backing foodtech companies that can deliver real functional value and a credible path to commercialization," said Tomas Turner, co-founder and CEO of Cosaic. "At Cosaic, we are building an ingredient that resolves the trade-offs food companies face every day between clean label, sensory performance, and cost. With strong strategic backing and a capital-efficient scale-up model, we are well positioned to move from development to launch readiness."

The announcement follows Cosaic’s strategic go-to-market partnership with another leading ingredient house, Ingredion, announced in late 2025, which provided the company with important commercial validation. With backing from Ingredion and dsm-firmenich Ventures, Cosaic is now accelerating the path from product development to market launch.

About Cosaic (formerly known as Cultivated Biosciences)

Cosaic is a Swiss biotech and foodtech startup that aims for a world in which good food choices benefit everyone: people, businesses, and the planet. They do this with ingredient solutions that offer greater industry resilience and greater consumer satisfaction. Cosaic Neo is their first ingredient, a unique natural multifunctional emulsion that delivers perfect stability and delicious creaminess, all at once, by itself. It is a patented food ingredient born from yeast fermentation. Its complex microstructure allows for multiple functionalities to reconcile product performance with sensory experience while cleaning labels. Cosaic employs 15 people and is in pre-series A stage, preparing for a market entry next year in the US. More info: www.cosaic.bio

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Ecotrophelia Switzerland 2026 brought together some of the country’s most promising student innovators, as multidisciplinary teams from Swiss universities presented sustainable, market-ready food products to an expert jury of industry and academic leaders.

Part of a wider European initiative, the competition challenges students to translate scientific knowledge into commercially viable solutions, combining creativity, technical expertise and entrepreneurial thinking. This year’s edition once again highlighted the strength of Switzerland’s talent pipeline in food innovation.

“Ecotrophelia is a unique platform where students can apply their knowledge to real-world challenges in the food system,” said Sandra Galle, Professor of Food Technology and Biotechnology at HES-SO, School of Engineering in Sion. “It not only fosters innovation, but also helps build the skills and confidence needed to bring new ideas to market.”

This year’s finalists

Three teams were selected to compete in this year’s final, each showcasing a different approach to sustainable food innovation:

• Team Appy developed an apple juice drink with functional apple pomace pearls.
• Team Sorgood created a fermented beverage based on sorghum for a more resilient food system.
• Team TAMs developed a high-fiber  Provençale snack made of low-glycemic index ingredients and by-products.

Sorgood is crowded the national winner

The jury awarded first place to Sorgood, recognising the product’s innovation, sustainability impact, and market potential. 

The winning team stood out with an innovative plant-based beverage made from sorghum, a resilient and underutilised climate-smart crop. Their solution highlights how traditional grains can inspire sustainable, nutritious alternatives in the plant-based beverage category. 

An industry perspective

This year’s national competition was made possible thanks to the generous support of Valley partners Helbling Technik, Nestlé, Bühler Group and Givaudan.

Reflecting on the competition, Lorenz Klauser, Senior Vice President and Partner at Helbling Technik, noted: “Ecotrophelia shows how innovation starts with people. Sharing our experience in bringing products to life and our broad technical expertise with these talented teams has been truly rewarding. It highlights how young talent can drive real change in the food system.”

From the jury’s perspective, Robert Mitchell, Head of Food Science at Bühler, added: “It’s impressive how quickly students developed solid concepts. Competitions like Ecotrophelia help prepare the next generation to tackle real-world challenges in scaling affordable, nutritious food. Congratulations to all the teams.”

At Nestlé R&D, the importance of nurturing entrepreneurial talent was front of mind. As Maria Eugenia Barcos, Nestlé Research Startup Program Lead, put it: "At Nestlé R&D, we believe that supporting young talents with an entrepreneurial spirit is essential to accelerating the transformation of sustainable food systems. It’s been impressive to see how the students naturally take into account the importance of collaboration, sustainability and market readiness."

Highlighting the role of sensory experience and creativity in food innovation, Matthias Schultz, Research Director at Givaudan International SA, said: “Watching the young talents at Ecotrophelia bring their bold ideas to life was truly inspiring. Their entrepreneurial drive and creativity turned ideas into tangible food experiences , a vision that resonates deeply with Givaudan's purpose of creating happier, healthier lives with love for nature. ”

What comes next

The journey continues beyond the competition. In the coming months, participating teams will continue to be supported by industry partners, including Nestlé, Helbling Technik, Bühler and Givaudan, helping them further refine their concepts and explore pathways to market.

The winning team will go on to represent Switzerland at Ecotrophelia Europe, one of Europe’s leading student competitions in food innovation, taking place at SIAL Paris later this year.

Find out more about HES-SO's Bachelor of Life Sciences here.

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