Animal-Free Dairy: Laughing Cow, Babybel, and Boursin Parent Company to Explore Precision Fermentation

EAT

Nov 24

The Bel Group, whose brands include Babybel, Laughing Cow, and Boursin, is working with Standing Ovation to create animal-free dairy cheese - a trailblazing solution to combat the devastating ethical and environmental impact of traditional dairy production.

Bel Group, the marketer behind major cheese brands including Babybel, The Laughing Cow, and Boursin has announced that it is partnering with precision fermentation start-up Standing Ovation to produce animal-free dairy cheese.

Bel Group says that the move is part of their ongoing mission to provide more varied protein sources in order to help feed a growing population, projected to reach 10 billion by 2050. By making investments in the development of "proteins for the future" and expanding their plant-based options, they are "firmly committed" to supplying healthier and more responsible food.

“I am delighted with this exclusive partnership which perfectly illustrates how our Group is committed to FoodTech for the future of food,” said Caroline Sorlin, Bel Group Chief Venture Officer. “It also demonstrates the confidence that innovative start-ups like Standing Ovation have in us to transform the food model.

“Combining the knowledge and skills of such a start-up and a Group like ours guarantees that we will be able to offer products that will meet consumers’ expectations tomorrow.”

What is precision fermentation?

Nearly all of the ingredients for cheese can be found outside of conventional dairy. The exception is caseins, the proteins that give cheese its unique taste, texture, and aroma. However, animal-based caseins are placing enormous pressure on the planet, while exploiting billions of cows, goats, buffalos, and more. To tackle the environmental and ethical challenges caused by the traditional dairy sector, companies are turning to innovative solutions that provide alternative food offerings.

Paris-based food tech startup, Standing Ovation, uses a process called precision fermentation to produce caseins of non-animal origin. These proteins are identical to those naturally present in milk, and provide all the nutritional qualities, functionality, and traditional taste of cheese. Protein-producing microbes are fed with plant-based sugars in fermenters, in a similar process to how beer is produced. These cheese proteins are then recovered, purified, and mixed with plant-based or mineral ingredients. Then, the traditional method of cheesemaking, curdling, draining, molding, salting, and ripening, occurs to produce the final animal-free, dairy cheese product.

“We have developed a unique process to produce non-animal caseins. Our ambition today is to see the first products arrive on the market quickly, with a very wide distribution,” said Frédéric Pâques and Romain Chayot, respectively President and Scientific Director, co-founders of Standing Ovation.

“We are proud to partner with Bel Group to accelerate the deployment of these alternative proteins, whose market is growing exponentially, and where we want to play a key role. We look forward to working with a Group with proven cheese expertise, iconic brands and a collaboration model that is ideal for start-ups”

Standing Ovation recently raised €12 million in a Series A funding round, to bring its casein production process to an industrial scale. Bel Group participated in the round to secure a stake in the company.

Imagining tomorrow’s cheese

Bel and Standing Ovation’s scientific teams will work together at Bel’s R&D center in Vendôme, France, and at Standing Ovation’s facility in Paris, on the application of Standing Ovation’s technology to selected Bel products.

As part of the collaboration, Standing Ovation will bring its ability to produce casein by fermentation and Bel will bring its unique cheese-making expertise and ability to integrate innovation into its products and processes.

“Caseins are essential to the quality of cheeses – they are nutritious and provide firmness, texture, and the capacity to melt. Standing Ovation’s technology combined with our knowledge of the links between structure and function will enable all these features – and more – to be developed,” said Anne Pitkowski, Bel Group Research and Application Director.

“Our unique cheese-making expertise will put these advances into practice. This partnership opens many possibilities for imagining tomorrow’s cheese recipes and products, combining nutritional quality, accessibility, and responsibility.”

What We Eat Matters: Dairy

Cows are mammals, and just like us, they produce milk to nourish their young. A female cow in the dairy industry is repeatedly inseminated to ensure that she is continuously producing milk. Within hours of giving birth, her calf will typically be removed so that her milk can be taken and sold to humans instead.

On top of animal cruelty, the environmental impact of animal agriculture is devastating and responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than any other food sector. Milk production alone contributes 2.9 percent of all human-induced GHG emissions. It also contributes significantly to soil degradation and deforestation and pollutes air and water.

Our choices matter to animals. Do you think you could embrace plant-based living for 30 days? We do. Sign up for the Species Unite 30-Day Vegan Challenge to discover a whole new world, from recipes that will trick your most carnivorous friends to shoes, boots, and bags made from some of the most magical plants on the planet. Take part here!

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