Melt&Marble completes first successful demo-scale fermentation for fats

Melt&Marble, a pioneer in precision-fermented designer fats, has achieved a major breakthrough by scaling its fermentation process to volumes exceeding ten thousand litres. This development marks a critical step towards commercial-scale production and expanded application testing in sectors such as alternative protein, confectionery, bakery, and personal care.

The scale-up of Melt&Marble’s innovative designer fat, engineered to mimic animal-derived fats for use in alternative meats and personal care products, follows a successful fermentation trial at the cubic metre bioreactor scale earlier this year. The company’s scientific team maintained consistent strain and bioprocess performance, demonstrating the scalability and robustness of its proprietary process.

“Scaling up fermentation processes can be challenging, and we’re incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished in such a short timeframe,” said Melt&Marble CEO Anastasia Krivoruchko. “This milestone proves that our process can produce precision-fermented fats in much larger volumes than previously achieved. The success was driven by collaborative efforts between internal and external teams, ensuring that our process remains effective at a larger scale,” added CSO Florian David.

The success of this trial paves the way for broader application testing of Melt&Marble’s fats, allowing the company to refine their use in various food and personal care products to optimise performance across different contexts.

“This achievement is a crucial step towards the commercial launch of Melt&Marble’s fats,” said CBO Thomas Cresswell. “It enables us to accelerate pilot projects already underway with our partners, bringing sustainable fat solutions to market faster and meeting the growing demand for better alternatives. Our goal is to make our fats available to consumers and drive the transition to a more sustainable food system.”

Melt&Marble uses precision fermentation to engineer yeast metabolism, creating designer fats with precisely controlled compositions and properties. Following recent successes, including securing €2.76m in EU grants, this scale-up positions the company strongly for the next phase of its journey. Melt&Marble will continue to develop its designer fat products for applications in alternative meats, cheese, butter, confectionery, and bakery products, with plans to bring these sustainable alternatives to market in the coming years.