Ferm Labs

Fermentation as a flavour tool

Ferm Labs develops natural flavour enhancers through fermentation and bioprocessing. Its current Kokumesan ingredient is made by fermenting upcycled liquid whey to create an aged-cheese-like savoury profile. The company presents the ingredient as a way for food producers to add umami and kokumi while reducing reliance on salt, yeast extract or other additives.

The ingredient is intended for integration into existing manufacturing processes and applications including plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, sauces, soups, snacks, ready meals and beverages. Food manufacturers can request samples, evaluate the ingredient in their formulations and work with Ferm Labs’ R&D team on custom blends.

A B2B ingredient platform

Ferm Labs sells to food innovators and manufacturers rather than consumers. Its fermentation approach also aims to turn food-industry by-products into higher-value ingredients. The company is scaling bioprocessing and production in South Tyrol while expanding European B2B sales and researching additional ingredient categories.