French Animal-Free Casein Maker Strikes Deal with Ajinomoto to Scale Up Manufacturing

French precision fermentation innovator Standing Ovation has partnered with Ajinomoto Foods Europe to produce its animal-free casein protein at industrial scale.

As it gears up to begin sales of its cow-free dairy protein, Paris-based Standing Ovation is leveraging the tech expertise and capabilities of Ajinomoto’s industrial-scale plant in northern France.

The precision fermentation startup has struck a long-term deal with Ajinomoto Foods Europe – the regional arm of the Japanese conglomerate – to produce animal-free milk protein in Nesle.

According to Standing Ovation, the facility is located close to its main customers, which it described as “world leaders in the dairy industry”. It also uses local raw materials and renewable energy sources.

It comes months after the company raised €3.75M in a Series A extension round to get its Advanced Casein product to the US market later this year.

“As a global player with historical expertise, Ajinomoto is an ideal manufacturing partner for us,” said Standing Ovation CEO Yvan Chardonnens, who took over from co-founder Romain Chayot in September. “Their leading fermentation capabilities in France will enable us to meet our customers’ needs by providing them with high-quality and sustainable proteins.”

Recombinant casein preserves dairy’s sensory properties

Precision fermentation combines the process of traditional fermentation with the latest advances in biotechnology to efficiently produce a compound of interest, such as a protein, flavour molecule, vitamin, pigment, or fat.

Standing Ovation makes use of the technology to produce bioidentical casein, which makes up 80% of the protein content found in milk. It is responsible for emulsification, stabilisation and gelation, among other features, giving cheese its melty and stretchy properties, and ice cream its creamy texture.

The startup’s tech and manufacturing processes are protected by seven patent families and have allowed it to establish strategic partnerships with prominent dairy players, including French dairy giant Bel Group.

Standing Ovation’s Advanced Casein powder can be used in animal-free cheeses, yoghurt, ice cream, milk and protein bars, but in a way that preserves dairy’s functional and sensory properties.

It’s also much better for the environment than the cow-derived version. An independent life-cycle assessment has found that its precision-fermented casein generates 94% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and enables the industry to make much better use of water and land.

Standing Ovation targeting US launch this year

With bioreactors exceeding 100 cubic metres in scale and comprehensive downstream processing capacities, Ajinomoto Foods Europe has established itself as a contract manufacturing partner for precision fermentation, with applications scanning food, personal care, crop protection, biomaterials, and nutraceuticals.

In October, it formed a similar partnership with German biotech startup AmSilk to produce recombinant spider silk proteins.

Speaking about the collaboration with Standing Ovation, Ajinomoto Foods Europe CEO Hiroshi Kaneko said it reflected the companies’ “shared commitment to creating economic, sustainable, and social impact”.

“With food innovation at the heart of Ajinomoto Group’s legacy, we are eager to leverage our expertise in precision fermentation to support their large-scale manufacturing efforts,” he added.

So far, only New Culture and Fermify have been cleared to sell animal-free casein in the US, both obtaining self-determined GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status last year.

“Our priority will be to step up our development by obtaining the necessary regulatory approval, strengthening our go-to-market strategy, and embarking on large-scale industrial production,” Chardonnens told Green Queen in September.