Switzerland-based food and food ingredients company Food Brewer teams up with Fruitful AI to use their advanced computer vision tools to create an automated media screening and cell selection platform. Food Brewer is developing a platform technology to produce food and food ingredients, starting with non-GMO cacao and coffee. The optimisation of ingredient and media formulations allows the Food Brewer team to identify the fastest-growing plant cells and devise the best formulations in record-breaking time. With advanced data-driven insights from Fruitful AI, the partnership sets a new precedent for the future of sustainable cellular agriculture practices.

📒 The background

SFNV: Tell us a bit about the key issues you address.

Christopher Keim: At Food Brewer we’re developing a platform technology to produce food and food ingredients, starting with non-GMO cacao and coffee. The urgency for change stemmed from the environmental impact of conventional practices, including deforestation, loss of biodiversity, high water usage, food waste, and greenhouse gas emissions. By incorporating AI tools and technologies like computer vision to track the growth of plant cells, we’re able to enhance the efficiency, quality, and reproducibility of our platform. 

Patrick Albrecht: At Fruitful AI, our focus lies in objective automated quality assessments by providing food manufacturers, among others, with advanced data-driven insights. These insights, derived from our AI tools, allow for optimised resource allocation and improved monitoring of plant cell growth, potentially leading to increased efficiency and sustainability within current cellular agriculture practices. We believe this collaborative approach, exemplified by our partnership with Food Brewer, can lead to significant positive impacts on the future of the food system.

🤩 The opportunity

SFNV: What made you believe this collaboration would positively impact your work?

Christopher Keim: This collaboration emerged from a shared commitment to address sustainability challenges in the agricultural food market and is a response to a need for transformative solutions. After carefully examining the challenges associated with traditional plant cell growth methods, we identified this as an opportunity to implement innovative approaches in our production processes with the aid of Fruitful AI’s strong AI expertise.

Patrick Albrecht: Our shared passion for innovation in the Swiss food and beverage scene is what catalysed this collaboration. We recognise Switzerland’s prominence in the industry and admire the pioneering spirit of its leading companies. Food Brewer’s commitment to cell-cultured food development is a perfect fit for our AI expertise, and as such, we’re able to contribute Fruitful AI’s advanced tools for plant cell growth monitoring while Food Brewer leverages this technology to optimise its production processes.

💡 The solution

SFNV: What’s changed for you since this collaboration started? What are you most excited about?

Christopher Keim: Since collaborating with Fruitful AI we’ve established an automated media screening platform to optimise the nutrient formulation for our plant cells. This allows us to mimic natural growth conditions and help them grow efficiently in a healthy environment. Together with Fruitful AI and our plant tissue expert’s domain expertise we train the algorithms to independently detect and track plant tissue growth over time. In this way, the team can not only identify the fastest-growing plant cells and devise the best formulations in record-breaking time, but they are also able to determine and preserve the quality of the plant cells over a long period.

Patrick Albrecht: Since forming this partnership we’ve witnessed a refinement of both our AI tools and Food Brewer’s production processes. What we’re most excited about is the potential to revolutionise the future of food production. We see immense potential for impact in optimising resource usage, enhancing sustainability, and ensuring food security for a growing global population. This collaboration is a great example of the power of ‘growing the pie together,’ where innovation leads to positive change for all stakeholders, including consumers, the environment, and the future of food.

👀 What’s next?

SFNV: What does a food system that is fit for the future look like to you? What changes are needed?

Christopher Keim: For us, a food system fit for the future involves the widespread adoption of sustainable and scalable food production practices. With Food Brewer’s technology we provide partners in Switzerland the means to overcome the challenges of sustainable food production. Together we advance cellular agriculture and reshape the agricultural food market in Switzerland and beyond.

Patrick Albrecht: We envision a future food system that’s sustainable, efficient, and accessible for all. This means minimising waste and diversifying food sources for greater resilience. The key challenge lies in widespread adoption. Collaboration between innovators, producers, and consumers is crucial to get there.

💭 Partner Reflections

Christopher Keim: I find immense value in the innovative contributions this collaboration brings, particularly in addressing sustainability challenges in the agricultural food market. What excites me most is the potential for transformative impact, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to create a more sustainable and efficient future in food production.

Patrick Albrecht: Partnerships like these bring about an ingenuity that reinforces the power of collective innovation. I believe our combined expertise creates value by pushing the boundaries of both food science and AI, and I’m excited about the potential that holds in revolutionising the food industry and building a sustainable future together.

About Food Brewer

Food Brewer is a food and food ingredients company using plant cell cultures. We focus development, and marketing of pioneering technologies for large-scale cultivation in brewing tanks as an alternative to conventional agriculture. We secure key resources for the food industry and eliminate geographic, climatic, and seasonal challenges.

About Fruitful AI

Fruitful AI leverages advanced computer vision to develop AI-powered inspection systems. These systems can:

• Identify and flag defects in various industries, even those as small as micrometers.
• Optimize production processes by providing real-time data and insights.
• Ensure consistent high-quality products through automated visual analysis.

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On 4 March, we held our first Impact Forum event, bringing together 4 experts to explore how we drive impact at scale in sustainable proteins in just 60 minutes. Topics spanned from technical innovations to the critical role of adapting interventions to diverse cultural and economic contexts. Read on to explore some of the event’s key insights.

Key Takeaways

• Rather than urging consumers to reduce meat consumption, we should be advocating for a shift to alternative protein sources that are environmentally sustainable and pose no public health risks.
• A shift to more plant-based diets can help to address both environmental and health challenges. But diverse formats of alternative proteins are needed to cater to varied consumer preferences and cultural context.
• When it comes to low and middle-income countries (LMICs), we should focus on diversifying protein sources, with a focus on minimally processed proteins, and context-specific and culturally resonant products.

David Hunt, Good Food Institute Europe

With a focus on the imperative need for innovation to respond to the growing global demand for meat, Hunt delved into three key pillars of alternative proteins: plant-based, fermentation-made, and cultivated meat and fish.

Diverse plant-derived proteins emerge as a promising solution with advancements in raw materials, fractionation techniques, and inventive methods for texture emulation, including the upcycling of food industry byproducts. Fermentation technology plays a key role in standalone protein creation and functional ingredient development — with microorganisms like fungi and bacteria aiding in bioprocessing.

Research priorities in cultivated meat and fish were also discussed, including cell line development, cost reduction in cell culture mediums, and enhanced bioprocess efficiency. 2023 marked significant milestones in each of these categories, but the discussion wrapped up with a call to action for continued research and collaboration in the pursuit of sustainable and innovative solutions.

Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen-Küffer, Sight and Life 

Low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries have two opposing protein transitions — which means there’s a need for nuanced solutions. Not only are LMICs experiencing major nutritional gaps, but a nutritious and planetary diet is not affordable for many of the world’s poorest populations. Against this backdrop, there is no better opportunity than now, to leverage underexploited crops, create new jobs that empower smallholder farmers, and close the nutrition and affordability gap. However, protein quality must be safeguarded at all costs. 

Kesso proposed a narrative shift from replacing protein with alternative proteins to diversifying protein sources, with a focus on minimally processed proteins. It’ll take a multi-phased approach to scale this shift, and it will encompass the entire value chain. Collaboration, culturally resonant products, and substantial investments are a must. And as Kesso emphasised, “context is everything”.

Petra Klassen Wigger, Nestlé Research & Development

Petra Klassen Wigger emphasised a holistic approach to creating products that are beneficial for both consumers and the planet. Convincing consumers to adopt alternative proteins is not always an easy sell, and as such, companies must adopt a holistic value proposition. Alternative proteins have to meet a range of attributes  such as food safety, taste, nutrition, affordability, and sustainability.

Petra’s presentation stressed the importance of delivering alternative proteins in diverse and innovative formats not limited to replacing meat, dairy  or fish with plant based alternatives. New formats such as hybrid foods based on plant and animal sourced proteins allow  to address accessibility and sustainability, or vegetable based dishes to diversify diets. The company is also exploring emerging technologies like precision fermentation and cultured meat. For Nestlé, a commitment to range diversity is a key strategy — it allows the company to cater to varied consumer preferences and cultural contexts, ensuring the scalability of sustainable protein solutions.

Eliana Zamprogna, Yumame Foods 

With over one billion people affected by obesity and increasing malnutrition cases, there’s a pressing need for a shift to a more plant-based diet. Eliana Zamprogna discussed Yumame Foods’ comprehensive approach to food product ingredients; its aim is to create products that not only fulfil protein requirements but also utilise components in a wholesome manner. The company uses the fermentation process in an innovative way to combine cereals and legumes to produce authentic, minimally processed, and environmentally sustainable products that have a comprehensive nutrient profile, low fats and sodium, and locally sourced ingredients.

The key takeaway from this presentation, though, is that Yumame’s model has the potential to be replicated globally, which could significantly contribute to the paradigm shift towards sustainable and nutritious food options.

Driving impact at scale

The expert presentations were followed up by a lively Q&A session with the audience. Topics touched on included the role of upcycling for future food security, ongoing trends for meat replicas, and barriers hindering mass consumer adoption. There were also discussions around strengthening local protein source value chains in developing countries and the need for an agile approach to accommodate evolving consumer drivers. 

The collective questions and insights showcased a comprehensive engagement with diverse facets of the alternative protein landscape, reflecting the audience’s curiosity about regulatory, consumer-centric, and strategic considerations.

We’re already looking forward to our next Impact Forum event on regenerative agriculture pathways on 21 June. More information coming soon! 

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Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV), a network of 140+ Swiss food innovators, has signed a strategic partnership with Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), the official Swiss organisation for export and investment promotion, with offices in more than 30 countries. The partnership will highlight how global food innovators can benefit from joining Switzerland’s thriving food ecosystem.

From multinational companies like Nestlé, Bühler and Givaudan through world class academic institutions like ETH Zurich and EPFL to rapidly scaling startups like Planted and Ecorobotix – Switzerland boasts a thriving, collaboration-driven food innovation ecosystem.

But despite ranking first globally for Research & Development collaborations and providing access to extensive innovation infrastructure and a highly qualified workforce, Switzerland isn’t yet a top-of-mind destination for innovative food companies. 

Attracting global innovators

This is something that a new partnership between Switzerland Global Enterprise and Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley seeks to change. By bringing together SFNV’s ecosystem of over 140 Swiss food companies with S-GE’s global network, the partners aim to catalyse cross-border collaborations and knowledge exchange. Together they will highlight Switzerland’s unique business advantages to global innovators and strengthen the Swiss food ecosystem by attracting high value-adding settlements to the country. 

“S-GE is thrilled to join forces with Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley to amplify Switzerland’s presence in the global food innovation landscape. This strategic collaboration underscores our commitment to driving innovation, sustainability, and growth in the food sector,” said Sirpa Tsimal, Director Global Marketing from S-GE.

Christina Senn-Jakobsen, Managing Director at Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley added: “By connecting into S-GE’s unique global network, we’re well positioned to reach out to international innovators, share what Switzerland has to offer as a food nation and welcome them into our diverse ecosystem.” 

Switzerland as a global hub

This new partnership will elevate Switzerland’s position as a global hub for food and nutrition innovation.

One such innovator is B’ZEOS, a green-tech startup originally founded in Norway, which is harnessing the power of seaweed to revolutionise packaging. As a technology provider, B’ZEOS specialises in formulating and compounding innovative seaweed-based pellets, which serve as the foundation for a diverse range of final products. The company’s goal is to replace traditional fossil-based plastics with regenerative, fully biodegradable, and home compostable materials. Switzerland’s extensive network of corporates in the food and care sector, along with its robust investor network, drew B’ZEOS to establish its presence here. The Lausanne-based startup has since launched several paid pilots with Swiss corporations. 

The team behind OneAgrix is also excited about Switzerland as a business location. Pioneering a global digital ecosystem with industry 4.0 smart-tech solutions, the Zug-based company simplifies every step of global agri- and faith-based food trade to ensure greater visibility, transparency, traceability, and trust. 

Matthew Hoffer, Managing Director Europe & Middle East at OneAgrix AG, commented: “As a company with roots in Singapore, our attraction to Switzerland stems from its pivotal role as a gateway for our growth and expansion into Europe. Switzerland offers an exceptional business environment, unparalleled innovations, and a proactive ‘can-do’ attitude that enhances the resilience of food value chains. Operating within the food trade ecosystem, these attributes align perfectly with our fundamental strategy aimed at enhancing trust and transparency for both FMCG manufacturers and food brand owners at the start of the value chain, as well as for end-customers.”

Cedric Verstraeten, CEO of revyve, a company creating sustainable ingredients from circularly sourced microbial biomass with offices in Wageningen and Zurich, agrees: “Switzerland’s reputation as a hub for cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking business practices perfectly complements our mission at revyve, originally funded in the Dutch Food Nutrition Valley. Our partnership with Swiss food and ingredients manufacturers allows us to enhance our ability to deliver natural, animal-free, and high-performing texturizing ingredients to consumers worldwide. We’re thrilled to continue benefiting from two of the most powerful food ecosystems in Europe and contributing to Switzerland’s thriving food ecosystem.”

The partnership between SFNV and S-GE will combine SFNV’s extensive network of food innovators like B’ZEOS, OneAgrix and revyve with S-GE’s international reach to foster cross-border collaboration, enhance Switzerland’s appeal as a prime location for food innovation and attract investment into the country’s food sector.

About Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV)

Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV) is a purpose-driven, nationwide, not-for-profit association that strengthens and promotes food system innovation, with international engagement. SFNV’s diverse community of 140+ Valley partners collaborate to address the most pressing challenges in food, agriculture and nutrition, and co-create innovative solutions that drive better planetary and human health

About Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE)

Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) is the official Swiss organisation for export and investment promotion. S-GE supports Swiss SMEs in their international business and helps innovative foreign companies on their way to settling in Switzerland. As a private organisation, S-GE has acted on behalf of the Swiss Confederation and cantons since 1927 to ensure strength in the country’s foreign trade and prosperity in Switzerland.

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