Swiss Biotech Startup and Valley partner Cultivated Biosciences has presented its first proof-of-concept (POC) using its creamy fat ingredient created with yeast fermentation. The POC, a coffee creamer, is white and clean-label, with a rich, creamy taste and mouthfeel, but puts an end to flocculation.

After two years of R&D, Cultivated Biosciences presented its first POC using its creamy fat ingredient in a final product formulation: a dairy-free coffee creamer that matches the performance of dairy creamers.

The coffee creamer meets the needs of the industry: it has whitening capabilities, it is stable in coffee, and is clean label. It also meets the expectations of the consumers: it is very creamy and tastes like a regular American commercial creamer. Cultivated Biosciences’ ingredient provides the lipids and the texture to the formulation, and is stable in the acidic coffee without additives.

The dairy-free coffee creamer was introduced and available for tasting during a MISTA event held in San Francisco in November 2023. MISTA is a new food innovation ecosystem and accelerator in the Bay Area, bringing together the food industry and the startups during “Growth Hacks” to kick-start collaborations. Cultivated Biosciences’ creamer was developed during a Growth Hack focused on alternative fats, in collaboration with the MISTA partners including AAK, Ingredion Givaudan and Danone.

The path to commercialisation

About Cultivated Biosciences

Cultivated Biosciences is turning animal-free dairy into the better choice for everyone. Cultivated Biosciences improves the mouthfeel of animal-free dairy by developing a unique and patented emulsion as an ingredient for the food industry, using yeast fermentation. Their technology produces a unique functional fat with a cream-like texture, providing a sustainable and healthy alternative to animal dairy fat. The cream from Cultivated Biosciences will replace vegetable oils and additives currently used in dairy alternatives, thus providing a cleaner label thanks to superior functionality and stability, and a sensory experience similar to dairy. Dairy alternatives are on the rise globally, a market size of $12 billion in 2023 and $34 billion in 2033, convincing more and more health and environmentally conscious consumers, but two thirds of consumers name texture and a lack of clean label options as a barrier to consumption. Find out more on their website. 

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Hungarian insect producer Agroloop teamed up with Bühler to use their sophisticated insect growth system for its industrial black soldier fly plant. The facility will produce up to 4,000 tonnes of animal feed ingredients per year and will be built in Üllő, Hungary. Bühler will deliver its crate-based nursery and rearing technology, which will enable a quick ramp-up of the plant for commercial production. Agroloop plans to launch its first products by the end of 2024, contributing to a more sustainable animal feed value chain.

Following its foundation in 2017 and the successful operation of a pilot facility, Agroloop got the green light for the implementation of an industrial insect plant in Hungary in 2022. Now they are working at full speed to construct the plant and get it operational. The insect facility will be realized in an existing building of the Aerozone Park in Üllő, which is located next to the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. In the new plant Agroloop – supported by Bühler’s insect technology expertise – will produce more than 25,000 tonnes of black soldier fly larvae that will be turned into sustainable feed ingredients for the pet food, aquaculture, and livestock sector. 

The plant is only the first step in Agroloop’s strategy to make insect feed ingredients available for the Central and Eastern European (CEE) agribusiness. “The abundance of food processing by-products presents a unique opportunity for Agroloop’s multi-plant rollout strategy in the CEE region. Leveraging our strategic partnership with the leading regional feed producer UBM Group, we improve feed quality and sustainability creating future-proof feed formulas. This enables Agroloop to focus on rapid expansion and solidifies our position as a key player in the region,” says István Nagy, co-founder and CEO of Agroloop. 

Proven technology for short ramp-up time

Agroloop employs a local engineering company to integrate the various technology packages. The heart of this system is the insect growth technology, which mainly determines the plant yield and has a major effect on business performance. For their insect growth system, Agroloop has selected Bühler’s nursery and rearing technology, which has several years of a track record in the insect industry. “We’ve meticulously assembled a best-in-class technology supplier portfolio to build our plant. Bühler plays a crucial role in providing the framework and core components for this design. By choosing Bühler’s technology, Agroloop can enter the value chain with the highest standards,” says István Nagy.  

Andreas Baumann, Head of Market Segment Insect Technology at Bühler, added: “We are very proud to be part of this pioneering project for the CEE region and delighted to see that our solutions will contribute to more sustainable feed supply chains.”

Sustainable protein

In the pursuit of sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, the CEE region is increasingly turning to alternative sources for feed ingredients. By incorporating insects into the feed supply chain, the region can address environmental concerns, reduce dependence on imported protein sources, and contribute to a circular economy approach. In addition, innovative feed formulations containing insects can optimize animal health and growth, thus leading to more efficient livestock production systems. 

Insects can be reared on agricultural and food processing by-products, transforming these materials into high-quality protein. This approach not only reduces the environmental impact of this value chain but also creates a closed-loop system where resources are reused and recycled. The European Union has historically been dependent on imported protein sources for animal feed, contributing to issues such as deforestation and habitat destruction in other parts of the world. By embracing the commercialization of insect-based livestock feed, the region can increase feed efficiency, reduce reliance on external sources, and contribute to local and regional food security. 

Andreas Baumann says: “The incorporation of insect ingredients in animal feed presents a compelling solution to the challenges faced by the livestock industry. Besides providing nutritious and sustainable protein source, insects also empower local economies to become self-sufficient. That is why insect protein is seen as a key component for a more sustainable and resilient food system.” 

About Bühler

Bühler’s goal is to create innovations for a better world. To achieve this, the company intends to harmonize the needs of the economy, people and nature. As an important solution partner for the food and mobility industries, Bühler has developed a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its operations by 60% by 2030 (Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Scopes 1 & 2, base year 2019). The company is also committed to offering scalable solutions that reduce energy, waste and water in its customers’ value chains by 50% by 2025. Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies every day to meet their basic needs for food and mobility. Two billion people eat food produced on Bühler systems every day. One billion people travel in vehicles whose parts were produced using Bühler technologies. Countless people wear glasses, use smartphones and read newspapers and magazines. They are all manufactured using Bühler process technologies and solutions. Thanks to this global relevance, Bühler is in a unique position to transform today’s challenges into sustainable business areas. Bühler contributes to feeding the world safely. And the company contributes to climate protection by producing solutions that lead to more energy-efficient cars, buildings and systems.

Bühler invests up to 5% of sales annually in research and development. In 2022, around 12,700 employees generated sales of CHF 3.0 billion. The Swiss family company is active in 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 105 service stations, 30 production plants and application centers in 23 countries. Find out more on their website.

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In their fifth annual collaboration, Givaudan and the University of California Berkeley have released transformative research paving the way for enhanced efficiency in alternative protein. The latest white paper entitled ‘10 Alternative Protein Pathways: Opportunities for Greater Efficiency’ outlines key challenges and opportunities on the journey to co-create delicious and nutritious alt-protein experiences that delight consumers.

With more consumers expected to explore plant-based protein, opportunities abound for food producers and retailers to develop sustainable, healthy alternatives that deliver diverse food experiences. With its deep industry knowledge, Givaudan has once again teamed up with the University of California Berkeley Product Development Program to provide practical steps on how industry players can create mouthwatering, affordable, alternative protein products.

Sudhir Joshi, Professor, Board Member and Product Development Program Coach at the University of California Berkeley, said: “Alternative proteins can significantly reduce environmental impact and improve human health. Our findings identified four key areas where producers can focus on improving efficiencies and reducing costs for alternative protein products. These were further divided into specific steps companies can take to mitigate risk, while still making tasty, healthy, and cost-effective products.”

Exploring challenges and opportunities

The research explores the key challenges the industry faces, such as supply chain issues, resource consumption, production scale-up, and competitive pricing. It also offers 10 clear and actionable pathways to help alt-protein producers address these hurdles and maximise efficiency. This includes identifying ingredient combinations that ensure the best quality and value for both food innovators and consumers, and outlining ways to optimise the use of energy, water, and other natural resources. The end goal? To enable the industry to create alternative protein experiences that are good for both people and the planet.

Flavio Garofalo, Global Director, Culinary & Plant Attitude, Givaudan, said: “In today’s dynamic environment, the key to gaining a competitive edge lies in strategic partnerships. Companies that team up with others to pool their knowledge, expertise and resources will be better placed to spot market opportunities, unlock efficiencies, and scale innovations more quickly. Every year, we join forces with the University of California Berkeley to investigate key topics related to alternative protein. Why do we do it? Because it helps us look at alternative protein in a more holistic way, which puts us in a better position to support our customers.”

Bringing the research to life through a startup challenge

To bring the insights from its new research to life, Givaudan is also launching a Start-Up Challenge. The company will select five start-ups from around the world to reduce the costs of a standard recipe using the pathways outlined in the white paper, including raw material optimisation, hybrid products, process optimisation, and new technology and innovations.

Givaudan started its alternative protein journey over a decade ago, with the knowledge that these products are pivotal to a food future that’s good for humans, animals, and the planet. The company’s global protein network includes four hubs dedicated to developing holistic alternative and plant-based food experiences. These hubs enable Givaudan customers to co-create products ensuring they have the right taste, mouthfeel, colour, visual appeal and nutrition to meet consumer preferences in their markets. They also offer access to an entire ecosystem of experts in plant-based dairy and savoury products, along with specialised products, knowledge and technical equipment.

Download the ’10 Alternative Protein Pathways’ white paper here.

About Givaudan

Givaudan is the global leader in the creation of flavours and fragrances, with its heritage stretching back over 250 years, the Company has a long history of innovating tastes and scents. From a favourite drink to your daily meal, from prestige perfumes to cosmetics and laundry care, its creations inspire emotions and delight millions of consumers the world over. The Company is committed to driving purpose-led, long-term growth while leading the way to improve happiness and health for people and nature. In the fiscal year 2020, the Company employed almost 16,000 people worldwide and achieved sales of CHF 6.3 billion and a free cash flow of 12.8% of sales. Visit the website to find out more.

About Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing

Powered by innovation and creativity, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing aims to shape the future of food by becoming the co-creation partner of choice to its customers. Built on its global leadership position in flavours and taste, the Company goes beyond to create food experiences that do good and feel good, for body, mind and planet. With an expanded portfolio of products across flavours, taste, functional and nutritional solutions and a deep knowledge of the food ecosystem, Givaudan’s passion is to collaborate with customers and partners to develop game changing innovations in food and beverage. Let’s imagine together the future of food. Click here to learn more.

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Bühler, the Swiss technology group has this month, opened its new center for food innovations in Uzwil, Switzerland. It combines diverse competencies at a single location and sets new standards for product and process development. Four application and training centers – the Flavor Creation Center, the Food Creation Center, the Protein Application Center and the Energy Recovery Center – have opened their doors to customers and complement the existing centers, such as the Extrusion Application Center. The new centers connect the entire value chain and enable a circular economy approach to food production. With Bühler’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and team of experts, customers have an ideal environment to respond to market changes and shape the food of the future.

“In a world where requirements are changing so rapidly, customers need flexibility and creativity to adapt their products to take into account important aspects such as sustainability, the use of local raw materials, healthy nutrition and affordability,” says Johannes Wick, CEO of Grains & Food at Bühler. “With the completion of the new application and training centers, we are able to cover the entire production range, from different raw materials to a variety of end products. This means we can offer our customers enormous flexibility and the options they need to open up new markets.” 

Bühler operates application and training centers at 23 locations worldwide, some of which are suitable for multiple industrial applications. They offer special training courses for customers and act as a common platform to test new ideas and experiment with new products. In recent years, Bühler has expanded its global network of application centers and brought together new business partners, academic researchers, start-ups and suppliers with the aim of offering customers a state-of-the-art environment to drive innovation. In October, Bühler opened the Tropical Food Innovation Lab in Brazil together with the Institute of Food Technology (Ital), the FoodTech HUB Latam, Cargill and Givaudan. This innovative network develops sustainable food and drinks while promoting Brazil’s biodiversity. 

Enabling innovation through synergy effects 

The opening of the new Flavor Creation Center, the Food Creation Center, the Protein Application Center and the Energy Recovery Center as well as the existing application and training centers in Uzwil make this location a one-stop shop for Bühler customers worldwide. “The opening of the application and training centers is an important milestone in our efforts to support our customers and partners in the development of a more sustainable food system,” says Ian Roberts, CTO of Bühler. “In the new centers, customers have access to a unique combination of technology and know-how.” 

The new Protein Application Center offers process solutions for ingredients and consumer products under one roof. The center will promote the expansion of knowledge and advance the development of processes for the production of plant-based foods, including meat substitutes, beverages and ingredients. Equipped with the latest wet isolation and fractionation techniques for the separation of proteins, starch and fibers, the center will be operated in collaboration with Bühler’s partner endeco and will include the Grain Innovation Center, the Extrusion Application Center, the Pasta Application Center, the Food Creation Center, connecting the Flavor Creation Center and the Energy Recovery Center.  

The Extrusion Application Center, where 80 to 90 trials are carried out per year, will be closely linked to the new Protein Application Center, providing the unique opportunity to optimize the entire process solution from raw materials to end products. In this multi-purpose laboratory, customers can carry out tests on food and feed and test new recipes, product formats and properties.     

The Flavor Creation Center brings together Bühler’s proven expertise in processing, roasting and grinding cocoa beans, nuts and coffee in one place to create incomparable flavors and exquisite products. The center, which has been processing coffee since 2013 and cocoa and nuts since 2022, has been modernized and renovated. It offers product innovation, training, process optimization and raw material analysis and works in harmony with Bühler’s Chocolate Application Center, Food Creation Center and Energy Recovery Center. 

Whether it’s snack bars, waffles, cookies, crackers, baked goods of all kinds or chocolate products – the new Food Creation Center was developed to support customers throughout the entire innovation and industrialization process. On an area of ​​850 square meters, the center combines cutting-edge technology, analytical services, product and process development, workshops and training. 

Integrated energy efficiency solutions 

Together, the application and training centers in Uzwil produce around 550 tons of biomass every year. To make optimal use of the waste and by-products generated in the centers, Bühler and its strategic partner Vyncke built the Energy Recovery Center, which functions as a heating system for Bühler’s headquarters. The Energy Recovery Center also serves as a demonstration and testing platform for customers who want to reduce carbon footprint, waste production and energy costs through the use of side streams. “Energy production from biomass as an integrated component of process solutions for food has not yet been consistently developed and therefore has enormous potential, both from an economic and sustainable perspective,” says Johannes Wick. “The Bühler-Vyncke Energy Recovery Center is an important step for us in implementing our sustainability goals and is intended to serve as an example of energy recovery options in food and feed production.” 

Scalable transformative impact 

Bühler’s partnerships enable the development of cutting-edge technologies and new forms of collaboration with customers and partners. Milling Solutions, together with the other business areas, has begun construction of the new Grain Innovation Center in Uzwil, where Bühler will develop, test and scale sustainable and efficient solutions for grain and feed processing together with its customers and partners, to improve food and feed. The focus is on yield, quality, energy efficiency and flexibility of the systems as well as nutritious and tasty recipes based on a wide range of grains and legumes. The center is scheduled to be operational at the end of 2024.

“More than the impressive capabilities of each new application and training center we have invested in, they are designed to work holistically and offer a complete process so that customers can get the most out of it and achieve measurable and remarkable results.” says Johannes Wick. 

You can find out more about each of the application and training centers by clicking on the links below:  

• Energy Recovery Center 
• Extrusion Application Center 
• Flavor Creation Center 
• Food Creation Center 
• Protein Application Center

About Bühler

Bühler’s goal is to create innovations for a better world. To achieve this, the company intends to harmonize the needs of the economy, people and nature. As an important solution partner for the food and mobility industries, Bühler has developed a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its operations by 60% by 2030 (Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Scopes 1 & 2, base year 2019). The company is also committed to offering scalable solutions that reduce energy, waste and water in its customers’ value chains by 50% by 2025. Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies every day to meet their basic needs for food and mobility. Two billion people eat food produced on Bühler systems every day. One billion people travel in vehicles whose parts were produced using Bühler technologies. Countless people wear glasses, use smartphones and read newspapers and magazines. They are all manufactured using Bühler process technologies and solutions. Thanks to this global relevance, Bühler is in a unique position to transform today’s challenges into sustainable business areas. Bühler contributes to feeding the world safely. And the company contributes to climate protection by producing solutions that lead to more energy-efficient cars, buildings and systems.

Bühler invests up to 5% of sales annually in research and development. In 2022, around 12,700 employees generated sales of CHF 3.0 billion. The Swiss family company is active in 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 105 service stations, 30 production plants and application centers in 23 countries. Find out more on their website.

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Our current agrifood systems impose huge hidden costs on our health, the environment and society, equivalent to at least $10 trillion a year, according to a ground-breaking analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), covering 154 countries. This represents almost 10 percent of global GDP.

The State of Food and Agriculture 2023

According to the 2023 edition of The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA), the biggest hidden costs (more than 70 percent) are driven by unhealthy diets, high in ultra-processed foods, fats and sugars, leading to obesity and non-communicable diseases, and causing labour productivity losses. Such losses are particularly high in high- and upper-middle-income countries.

One fifth of the total costs are environment-related, from greenhouse gas and nitrogen emissions, land-use change and water use. This is a problem that affects all countries, and the scale is probably underestimated due to data limitations.

Low-income countries are proportionately the hardest hit by hidden costs of agrifood systems, which represent more than a quarter of their GDP, as opposed to less than 12 percent in middle-income countries and less than 8 percent in high-income countries. In low-income countries, hidden costs associated with poverty and undernourishment are the most significant.

More tracking to drive effective mitigation

The report makes the case for more regular and detailed analysis by governments and the private sector of the hidden or ‘true’ costs of agrifood systems via true cost accounting, followed by actions to mitigate these harms.

There have been other attempts at measuring the hidden costs of agrifood systems, producing similar estimates as FAO. The new FAO report, however, is the first to disaggregate these costs down to the national level and ensure they are comparable across cost categories and between countries.

For the first time ever, FAO will dedicate two consecutive editions of The State of Food and Agriculture to the same theme. This year’s report presents initial estimates, while next year’s will focus on in-depth targeted assessments to identify the best ways to mitigate them. Governments can pull different levers to adjust agrifood systems and drive better outcomes overall. Taxes, subsidies, legislation and regulation are among them.

A call to action

Commenting on the publication of the report, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said, “In the face of escalating global challenges: food availability, food accessibility and food affordability; climate crisis; biodiversity loss; economic slowdowns and downturns; worsening poverty; and other overlapping crises, the future of our agrifood systems hinges on our willingness to appreciate all food producers, big or small, to acknowledge these true costs, and understand how we all contribute to them, and what actions we need to take. I hope that this report will serve as a call to action for all partners – from policymakers and private-sector actors to researchers and consumers – and inspire a collective commitment to transform our agrifood systems for the betterment of all,”

The report urges governments to use true cost accounting to transform agrifood systems to address the climate crisis, poverty, inequality and food security. It notes that innovations in research and data, as well as investments in data collection and capacity building, will be needed to scale the application of true cost accounting, so it can inform decision-making in a transparent and consistent way.

Switzerland: high costs relating to the burden of disease

The figures set out in the report reveal that Switzerland’s climate cost are proportionately comparable with other Western European countries. The hidden costs on our land are lower (1% compared with 4% Western European average) but nitrogen costs are higher (12% compared with 8%). Switzerland’s hidden social costs, just like other European countries, were calculated to be minimal, but costs resulting from the burden of disease due to dietary patterns were higher than the global average (84% compared with 73%), calculated to be in the region of 18,781 million each year.

Read the full report | Explore the interactive story

About FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Their goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

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Vivent, the Swiss-based developer of “wearables for plants”, has announced that Pymwymic, a leading impact investor, and Horticoop, a cooperative of about 400 members active in Horticulture globally have acquired a significant new stake in the company to help accelerate its expansion to new markets.

Both Netherlands-based investors recognise the transformative effect Vivent’s crop health solutions have in improving the profitability of growers and the sustainability of food production. Vivent co-founder and CEO, Carrol Plummer commented on the deal by saying “We are delighted to have Pymwymic and Horticoop join our ownership group, as we increase sales and refine product offerings for new agricultural sectors. They are both driven by deep connections with sustainable agriculture and their involvement reinforces the industry’s growing interest in plant centered cultivation.”

Vivent pioneers unique AI-enabled technology that gives farmers and agtech businesses early warnings of disease, pests, nutrient deficiencies, and water stress, using biological signals from the plants themselves. Vivent’s wearables for plants provide alerts long before visual symptoms appear so growers can treat plants earlier. Vivent’s biosensor is the first commercial crop health diagnostic system based on plant electrophysiology – internal electrical signals plants use to coordinate growth, reproduction and defence.

“Using recent advances in machine learning, we can now decipher the internal network in plants and learn exactly what they need ,” says Dr Nigel Wallbridge, Vivent co-founder. “With our new investors we can deliver plant-driven, responsive, sustainable agricultural systems of all kinds.”

The technology leads to optimised growing recipes, increased yields, and improved crop protection effectiveness. It also encourages the adoption of environmentally preferable crop protection solutions – so more food with fewer inputs.

“We are convinced of the disruptive potential of the technology and hence excited about supporting the team at Vivent,” says Wilco Schoonderbeek, Director Investments at Horticoop BV.

Vivent solutions are successfully deployed in greenhouses and indoor farms and are increasingly used for field-grown crops, like potatoes, apples, grapes, canola and sugar beet, meaning it can serve a wide range of growers and crops across Europe and North America.  

In addition, Vivent also works with suppliers of innovative agricultural technology, including crop protection products, fertilizers, irrigation systems and supplementary lighting to demonstrate plant responses these treatments. Plant breeders can quickly assess the resilience of new plant varieties to a wide range of crop stressors. 

“We are delighted to support Vivent on their journey to unlock the ‘language of plants’ and deepen our knowledge of how to manage plant stress. It is remarkable to  see precisely how plants respond to stressors in the environment and to learn how we can use these signals to support better crop management in the face of climate change,” Commented Monique Meulemans, Pymwymic Investment Manager.

About Pymwymic

Pymwymic has taken a frontrunner role in the transition towards investing with care for both people and planet since 1994. Backed by 200 individuals, families, entrepreneurs and angel investors and joined by institutional investors, we have launched two Sustainable Development Goals-focused impact funds. Pymwymic’s Healthy Ecosystems Impact Fund I (closed in 2021) has nine portfolio companies (of which two exited) building solutions to preserve and restore our ecosystems. We are currently investing through the Healthy Food Systems Impact Fund II, supporting the change making entrepreneurs who are transforming our food system from farm to fork.  To find out more visit their website.

About Horticoop

Horticoop, founded in 1904 and supported by approximately 400 members who operate professional greenhouse horticultural businesses and with companies active in the fields of lighting, climate, technology and substrates for the industry , invests in companies at various stages of maturity that are transforming Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). With long-term investments and by connecting members and businesses, we are creating a healthy future for CEA, transforming an industry that must meet the need of a growing population while promoting sustainable resource management practices. You can find out more here.

About Vivent

Vivent was founded by well-known serial entrepreneurs Carrol Plummer and Dr. Nigel Wallbridge, who have now applied their information processing and telecommunication system skills to biological networking, with an initial focus on crops. Vivent’s team of expert plant and data scientist and experienced commercial people have worked with leading agricultural institutes, universities, crop protection companies and growers to validate this innovative approach. Vivent’s focus is on high-tech indoor growing operations and high-value outdoor crops. More information is available on their website.

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