Microbial conversion platform for sustainable food colorants from lactose

Overview

Material Futures Inc. presents an innovative microbial fermentation platform designed to transform lactose-rich sidestreams into high-value, natural colorants for the food industry. As synthetic colorants face regulatory challenges, our solution offers a sustainable and vibrant alternative, already attracting clients across dairy, bakery, snack foods, and confectionary sectors. By valorizing lactose-rich outputs, our platform not only addresses environmental concerns but also provides a competitive edge in clean-label product development.

Technical specifications

Our technology operates on lactose sidestreams, such as delactosed permeate, through a fermentation process that has been validated in 40L bioreactors and tested with commercial food manufacturing partners. Key features include:

• Efficient conversion of 38-55% lactose on a wet basis into colorants
• Scalable design, currently advancing to 10,000L+ systems for larger volume trials
• Pending patent protection ensures unique market positioning
• Compatibility with diverse dairy processing outputs, enhancing circular economy practices

Technology readiness level

The platform is currently at Technology Readiness Level 5, having been validated in relevant environments and with commercial partners. Ongoing efforts focus on scaling up to larger systems and preparing for food-grade commercialization within 18 months. These efforts include downstream processing refinement, regulatory readiness via self-GRAS submission to the U.S. FDA, and a commercial-scale demonstration planned with a CDMO.