Plant fractions and fermentation media

Two recent developments focus on raw-material interfaces that often determine process economics. VTT reports new processes for beta-glucan, legume proteins and integrated protein separation. FermBase is bringing a standardised trace-element blend for yeast fermentation from laboratory to industrial scale.

VTT: process development targets the entire plant fraction

The Finnish research organisation VTT has completed the three-year RETHINK consortium with seven food companies. Compared with the business model published in June, the new development is the availability of specific process results. VTT reports a patented method for concentrating and applying oat beta-glucan in liquid products without damaging the fibre or creating a paste-like consistency. A further pretreatment is intended to reduce the off-flavours typical of legume-based ingredients before protein separation [1].

The project also produced a germinated faba bean protein granule developed jointly by Viking Malt and Valio for plant-based and hybrid meat products. The technology emerging from the project and commercialised by Happy Plant Protein separates protein from carbohydrates and texturises the protein in a single process step. According to VTT, it is now being used in industrial projects in Latvia and the Netherlands [1]. Independent performance data, specifications and the commercial status of the individual ingredients have not been disclosed.

For manufacturers, the integration of process steps is particularly relevant. Less downstream processing can reduce water and energy requirements, while managing odour and flavour at an early stage changes the subsequent need for masking. The economics also depend on whether carbohydrate- and fibre-rich streams, as well as the protein fraction, can find viable markets. VTT had already described this rationale in June; the inventions and first industrial implementations now reported constitute the new development [2]. For specific formulations, functionality, sensory stability, allergen management and legal status must still be assessed for the individual ingredient and its manufacturing process.

FermBase: trace elements become a standardised scale-up component

FermBase, a brand of the Hamburg-based CREMER Group, has introduced Y-Base Blend, a ready-to-use trace-element blend for submerged yeast fermentation. According to the company, selection followed an automated programme of 3,300 fermentation experiments using different yeast strains. Customer trials in bioreactors reportedly achieved comparable performance in every case and outperformed customers' in-house blends in more than half of the cases [3]. Participants, strains, products and individual results have not been disclosed.

The technical value lies less in the number of experiments than in standardising an error-prone interface. Qualifying, storing, weighing and dosing several salts separately creates additional supplier, batch and process-transfer risks. FermBase offers the same approach in quantities ranging from one-kilogram packs and 25-kilogram units to industrial volumes. For food applications, the company lists food-grade quality and batch-specific certificates of analysis among the available options [3][4].

A standard blend does not replace process-specific media development. Concentration windows, solubility, interactions with carbon and nitrogen sources, and transferability to the production strain and target metabolite require validation at the user's own scale. Food applications also require scrutiny of specifications, traceability, carry-over risks and the regulatory status of the resulting ingredient. It will therefore be particularly relevant whether FermBase publishes robust application-specific data and change-control rules for the formulation or raw-material sources.

Yours, Andreas Gebhart

Sources

All sources last checked and accessed on 17 September 2026.

1. VTT: New solutions and innovations from VTT and Finnish food companies, 15 September 2026.
2. VTT: How to build investable plant-based ingredient businesses, June 2026.
3. Protein Production Technology International: FermBase launches standardized trace element blend, 15 September 2026.
4. FermBase: Trace Element Blends, product information, checked 17 September 2026.

Note: These updates provide technical context and do not replace legal, technological or product-specific assessment of an individual case. Image: AI-generated.