Chr. Hansen has launched FreshQ DA, the food culture seleced to help strengthen the fermentation of plant-based products, providing better protection against the spoilage caused by yeasts and molds. Investment in fermented plant bases was highlighted in Chr. Hansen’s 2025 strategy, which pegs the category as a “lighthouse,” a business category worth potential revenue above €100 million (US$118 million). 

The move from the company comes at a time when fermented plant-based products are experiencing increasing popularity and the gut health trend rises in global prominence.

FreshQ DA consists of lactic acid bacteria seleced for its ability to out-compete contaminants through fermentation. It is designed to work in a variety of plant bases to help keep products fresh for longer. 

Using fermentation for this is a well-known concept in the dairy world, and it offers similar potential for the fermented plant-based foods industry.

"It was clear to us that although customers just asked us to quickly make a dairy-free production of the best FreshQ culture we sell to dairy yogurts, this was not going to lead to a great performing culture for plant bases,” Peter Thoeysen, Chr. Hansen’s director of dairy bioprotection tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“We know that it is critical to take departure in the actual food matrix, the specific base when trying to find bacteria that, through fermentation, has a good inhibitory effect against spoilage like yeast and mold, and fits the sensory properties of the food application.”

It was quickly confirmed in the very early tests, according to Thoeysen.

“Bioprotection uses ‘good bacteria’ to fight ‘bad bacteria,’ yeast and mold to help keep food fresh from the inside out.”

“With fermentation-driven bioprotection, producers are better-equipped to build consumer trust in their brand by naturally improving product quality. Improving quality and shelf life can also help reduce food waste at the global level, providing consumers with an extended window to consume the food they purchase.” 

Plant-based ingredients for optimized nutrition
In terms of the various plant-bases, Thoeysen sees that oat is gaining significant interest alongside coconut and pea bases. 

“We have also seen manufacturers start to blend different plant bases to optimize taste and nutrition,” he explains.

“Our approach is to develop cultures that can robustly ferment a broad range of plant bases so that manufacturers can rely on the consistency of fermentation no matter which base or combination of bases they use.”

The same culture that works great in a dairy product does not provide the same performance in a fermented plant-based product. 

“So we had to screen broader. With the many different plant bases already used today by food manufacturers, and many more in the making, the complexity of finding something that works across the board is surely the most challenging part,” he explains. 

The entire process took Chr. Hansen two and a half years, wher a considerable amount of time was spent testing different leads together with customers in many specific bases.

Alongside its latest bioprotection culture for plant bases, Chr. Hansen will continue to expand its range of cultures designed explicitly for plant bases to improve taste and texture for clean label products and enhance health positioning with probiotic cultures, Thoeysen maintains.

Bioprotection success
The company first put its bioprotective solution for traditional fresh dairy products on the market in 2012, then launched the second generation in 2017 and now follows up with a version aimed at the steeply growing market for fermented plant-based foods. 

With FreshQ, producers are also able to improve supply-chain sustainability because extending freshness reduces waste in the value chain and gives consumers a longer window to eat food. 

Also, FreshQ meets the demand for real food with fewer artificial ingredients: Including FreshQ cultures in the fermentation can help extend shelf life without extending a product’s list of ingredients. 

Deepening the desire for plant-based
Consumers who are interested in plant-based food often take a profound interest in sustainability. 

“As more consumers become interested in focusing their diets around healthy and sustainable foods, a growing number of plant-based producers will enter the market to satisfy these demands, making this an increasingly competitive industry. Using FreshQ DA in their fermentation helps our customers distinguish their products and protect their value chains,” explains Thoeysen.

With the launch of FreshQ DA, Chr. Hansen will deepen its collaboration with players in the plant-based space at a time when consumers are more focused than ever on real food ingredients and healthy options. 

“As we embark on this new chapter, we are one step closer to building a more resilient food system and making sustainable consumption possible for every food preference,” concludes Thoeysen.

Chr. Hansen’s move also comes shortly after Innova Market Insights published its Top Ten Trends 2021 which identifies “Plant Forward” as the #2 trend for next year. 

Good for the gut
As the gut health trend rises in global prominence, fermented NPD is sweeping across international markets. 

Last week, Chr. Hansen unveiled its “next-generation” premium cultures, which are touted to help producers achieve their yogurt-making goals by optimizing protein content and offering documented probiotics. 

As reported by FoodIngredientsFirst earlier this month, manufacturers working with cultures, enzymes, probiotics or yeasts highlight diversifying applications across global markets, driven by the sustained gut health trend.

Formulators’ knowledge about the interplay between umami and kokumi taste themes expands the industry’s toolbox of solutions, particularly in the fermented foods space. 

A recent report by the Good Food Institute shows that globally, fermentation companies devoted to alternative protein received more than US$274 million in venture capital funding in 2019 and over 58 percent more in the first seven months of 2020, US$435 million – even as COVID-19 disrupted global markets.