FrieslandCampina Elements is a big-name in bovine lactoferrin, an ingredient that not solely helps infants take in iron, but additionally acts as an antimicrobial and antiviral agent. As such, it’s generally utilized in premium toddler components merchandise.
In cow’s milk, lactoferrin is simply out there in small portions – as little as 0.1mg/ml. In human milk alternatively, lactoferrin content material stands at round 1.4mg/ml.
Precision fermentation expertise has the potential to considerably improve lactoferrin provide, and the Dutch dairy components provider is greater than a bit of . This week, the farmer-owned cooperative introduced a ‘breakthrough’ in collaboration with US biotech firm Triplebar.
The duo says its cost-effective strategy to scaling up will assist carry the precision fermentation-derived ingredient to market.
The lactoferrin market potential
As an ingredient, lactoferrin might be prohibitively costly – starting from $300-$3,000 per kg. However demand stays excessive, with estimates the market might attain greater than $1bn by the top of the last decade.
Elevated provide with a decrease environmental footprint
The partnership just isn’t FrieslandCampina Elements’ first step into precision fermentation. The provider has been utilizing the expertise to provide human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) with tech developer Glycosyn since 2016.
However it does mark FrieslandCampina Elements’ foray into precision fermentation-derived specialty proteins, and extra particularly, lactoferrin.
It’s hoped that in utilizing precision fermentation, lactoferrin will develop into out there in portions beforehand unattainable by conventional strategies. In so doing, manufacturing will also be deemed extra environmentally sustainable. Unconstrained by the low quantities of lactoferrin in cow’s milk, precision fermentation can produce these proteins in bigger portions with much less influence on the milk provide, water provide, and land use.
“That is massive information within the various protein area as we start to create bioactive proteins that help and improve human well being and diet,” mentioned Triplebar CEO Maria Cho. “Our partnership with FrieslandCampina Elements…will allow us to carry extra of this extremely precious protein to market than ever.”
What is going to Triplebar and FrieslandCampina Elements carry to the partnership?
Precision fermentation permits the programming of microorganisms to provide complicated natural molecules, resembling lactoferrin.
California-headquartered Triplebar has developed a proprietary platform able to analysing animal and microbial cell traces 10,000 occasions quicker than standard screening strategies. The agency makes use of this to find and develop merchandise with essentially the most appropriate traits for a specific utility – on this case, lactoferrin.
Based on FrieslandCampina Elements, its position within the partnership is to leverage its expertise in protein, processing and expertise to co-create various protein options for specialised diet.
“Furthermore, we may also commercialise this ingredient by offering it with a path to market,” Anne Peter Lindeboom, managing director of innovation, instructed FoodNavigator.
Precision fermentation is an ‘essential’ a part of the ingredient provider’s technique, and the corporate employs a workforce of precision fermentation consultants to work in manufacturing and commercialisation.
“By combining Triplebar’s biotechnology experience with our protein experience, we’re creating a really sturdy and collaborative partnership.”
Are dad and mom open to feeding their infants precision fermentation-derived dairy?
The toddler components market is amongst essentially the most extremely regulated. It’s because components is usually infants’ sole supply of diet throughout a vital interval of development and growth.
FrieslandCampina is assured that though a novel ingredient, dad and mom and carers shall be open to feeding their infants precision fermentation-derived dairy. Proprietary analysis suggests customers, together with future Gen Z dad and mom, have gotten more and more conscious of the environmental influence of their meals decisions.
“This elevated eco-consciousness is predicted to extend the recognition of plant-based and various toddler milk formulation,” Lindeboom instructed this publication.
Additional, a current shopper perception research performed by FrieslandCampina Elements revealed that one-third of respondents would purchase merchandise containing components produced by precision fermentation and 70% would think about these merchandise.
On a broader degree, the provider’s analysis on international shopper perceptions discovered that 70% of UK and 76% of US respondents can be keen to purchase merchandise containing precision fermentation-derived proteins.
