Listen to the article 3 minutes This audio is automatically generated, please let us know if you have any feedback.
Dive Overview:
Fonterra, a New Zealand-based dairy cooperative, is collaborating with natural ingredients manufacturer Superbrewed Foods to advance sustainable food production, the companies announced. The partnership will combine Superbrewed's biomass protein platform with Fonterra's dairy processing, ingredients and application technologies to develop nutritious and functional biomass proteins. The partnership aims to meet growing consumer demand for protein and will build on Superbrewed's previously launched and patented postbiotic cultured proteins.
Dive Insights:
Postbiotics have attracted a lot of attention in the food and beverage industry in recent years, with many consumer products promising to promote gut health adding them to their ingredient lists.
Through ingredient evaluation, Fonterra was able to determine the functionality and nutrition of postbiotic cultured proteins that can complement dairy ingredients in food applications, and Superbrewed Foods demonstrated that its fermentation platform can be adapted to ferment other ingredients.
The multi-year collaboration aims to develop novel biomass protein solutions based on the fermentation of multiple feedstocks, including Fonterra's lactose permeate produced during dairy processing, with the aim of adding value by converting lactose into sustainable protein.
“Partnering with Superbrewed Foods is an exciting opportunity. Their cutting edge technology aligns with our mission to provide sustainable nutrition solutions to the world and meet the global demand for protein solutions, thereby creating more value from milk for farmers,” said Chris Ireland, Fonterra's general manager of innovation partnerships.
Superbrewed Foods is looking to expand into the U.S. market after the company received Food and Drug Administration approval in March for its postbiotic cultured protein, making it available for adoption by food and beverage companies in the dairy and dairy alternatives sectors.
The company also received a U.S. patent for postbiotic proteins, granting it 18 years of market exclusivity for the production, use and commercialization of all forms of bacterial biomass proteins.
“We are pleased to be partnering with a major company like Fonterra who recognises the value of bringing postbiotic cultured protein to market. This is a crucial step in expanding our biomass feedstock offering which will further contribute to sustainable food production,” Superbrewed Foods CEO Brian Treacy said in a statement.
According to a report by Markets and Markets, the protein ingredients market is expected to reach approximately $86 billion by 2028, up 41% from last year, as demand increases due to increased consumer awareness of nutrition.
