A recipe for success: FaBA dairy tech scales to industry

Brewing dairy proteins might sound unusual, but that’s exactly what researchers at The University of Queensland’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) have achieved, using precision fermentation to create dairy ingredients for the food and beverage sector.

Their innovative method uses bioreactors/microbes to produce dairy proteins in a controlled fermentation environment – similarly to the way yeast is used to brew beer.

The work was led by Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Professor Esteban Marcellin as part of FaBA’s Innovative Ingredients Program, which supports the development of sustainable, next-generation food ingredients.

“It’s a bit like brewing beer - except instead of alcohol, we’re producing dairy proteins that can be used in food supplements,” Professor Marcellin said.

“We’ve written the recipe, tested it in our lab, and now we’re handing it over to industry."

Professor Marcellin said developing a process that could perform consistently under real-world manufacturing conditions required months of refinement.

“The microbes are doing the work, but they only perform well if you give them the right instructions and conditions,” he said.

“We had to try different ‘recipes’ to ensure we got the pH, oxygen and nutrient levels just right and as close to the real product as possible.”

The technology has now been transferred to Sydney-based food tech company All G, where it is being used to develop a next-generation milk supplement.

It also marks the first commercial technology transfer from FaBA’s Innovative Ingredients Program.

“We’re incredibly proud to have reached this milestone and to have All G on board," Professor Marcellin said.

“This kind of partnership is what research impact looks like. When science and industry align, we can turn ideas into tangible products.”

All G Chief Technology Officer Dr Guillaume Barbier said the collaboration had provided a major boost to the company’s development pipeline.

“Working with FaBA has given us a head start in designing a scalable, production-ready process,” Dr Barbier said.

“It’s a valuable partnership as we grow and move ahead of the curve with the development of dairy products using new technology that are good for people and the planet.”

The project was supported by the Australian Government Department of Education through the Trailblazer Universities Program.