Danone Partners with Michelin and Others to Scale Precision Fermentation
Source: The DairyNews
French dairy conglomerate Danone has announced a partnership to scale up precision fermentation, aiming to foster the development of healthier and more sustainable food products. The initiative, dubbed the Biotech Open Platform, is a collaboration with local industrial titan Michelin, known primarily for its tire manufacturing, Crédit Agricole, a major investment bank, and American biotech startup DMC Biotechnologies.
Launched June 13, the project is set to invest €16 million ($17.3 million) in its first phase at the Parc Cataroux Center for Sustainable Materials in Clermont-Ferrand, a hub supported by Michelin designed to accelerate innovation in sustainable materials.
The initiative is also backed by several key players including the University of Clermont Auvergne, biotech firm Greentech, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and Clermont Auvergne Métropole. The platform leverages precision fermentation, which utilizes microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, or fungi to produce essential proteins, enzymes, and other molecules, contributing to innovations in the agri-food and materials sectors.
Danone highlighted the significant potential of precision fermentation to address pressing challenges in the food industry, such as improving the nutritional quality of products while enhancing carbon efficiency in production. “Precision fermentation will increase the accuracy and efficiency of producing proteins, enzymes, and other compounds, resulting in products that are more aligned with health needs and produced in a more carbon-efficient manner,” stated the company.
Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Danone, emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration: “At Danone, we are committed to investing in the future of food, and this partnership marks a pivotal step in that direction. We are eager to collaborate with our partners to develop advanced fermentation technologies, which will drive innovation, health benefits, and decarbonization in the food industry.”
Danone, renowned for its Activia yogurt brand and as a leader in fermentation technologies, boasts the world's largest library of ferments with over 4,000 identified. The Biotech Open Platform aims to move laboratory-tested products and processes to a larger scale by 2025, including the installation of an initial demo-scale production line equipped with a fermenter and purification systems. Plans for additional production lines are set for the following years.
DMC Biotechnologies, one of the key partners, specializes in using precision fermentation to develop and produce chemicals and ingredients. Their proprietary technology platform, Dynamic Metabolic Control, enhances the standardization, robustness, and predictability of fermentation processes.
The initiative is also backed by several key players including the University of Clermont Auvergne, biotech firm Greentech, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and Clermont Auvergne Métropole. The platform leverages precision fermentation, which utilizes microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, or fungi to produce essential proteins, enzymes, and other molecules, contributing to innovations in the agri-food and materials sectors.
Danone highlighted the significant potential of precision fermentation to address pressing challenges in the food industry, such as improving the nutritional quality of products while enhancing carbon efficiency in production. “Precision fermentation will increase the accuracy and efficiency of producing proteins, enzymes, and other compounds, resulting in products that are more aligned with health needs and produced in a more carbon-efficient manner,” stated the company.
Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Danone, emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration: “At Danone, we are committed to investing in the future of food, and this partnership marks a pivotal step in that direction. We are eager to collaborate with our partners to develop advanced fermentation technologies, which will drive innovation, health benefits, and decarbonization in the food industry.”
Danone, renowned for its Activia yogurt brand and as a leader in fermentation technologies, boasts the world's largest library of ferments with over 4,000 identified. The Biotech Open Platform aims to move laboratory-tested products and processes to a larger scale by 2025, including the installation of an initial demo-scale production line equipped with a fermenter and purification systems. Plans for additional production lines are set for the following years.
DMC Biotechnologies, one of the key partners, specializes in using precision fermentation to develop and produce chemicals and ingredients. Their proprietary technology platform, Dynamic Metabolic Control, enhances the standardization, robustness, and predictability of fermentation processes.
