F?RM

We were honored to have F?RM’s plant-based cheese featured at BioInnovation Institute’s recent event which launched the Danish government’s new life science strategy! The event introduced the new strategy, which aims to clearly direct the development of the Danish life science sector to maintain Denmark’s position as a world-leading life science nation. It was fantastic to see our product alongside other innovative foods like Matr Foods’s plant-based meat, and to connect with industry peers who share our commitment to sustainable food. A big thank you to BII for their support and for bringing together so many inspiring voices in life science and food tech. It’s a reminder of what’s possible when we collaborate to create a more sustainable food system.

“Our products are already 50% cheaper to produce than traditional cow’s milk cheese—and they can even be made using the same production facilities,” says Andrea Donau in a new interview with German news outlet top agrar. At F?RM, we not only provide the technology but also partner with our customers to create their own unique recipes for plant-based cheese. Once the recipe is perfected, we license our enzyme technology for mass production. Want to learn more about how our solution works and what it could mean for the future of plant-based cheese? We’ll insert a link in the comments below. A big thanks to Malin Dietrich for spotlighting our vision!???

We’re featured in a new article in Finans that outlines where we stand on our journey with plant-based cheese. The article also highlights the developments we’re seeing due to Denmark’s upcoming CO2 tax on agriculture. It’s encouraging to sense the growing market interest, and we’re seeing more and more opportunities to collaborate with food producers on plant-based alternatives. We appreciate the effort that’s put into the new Danish green tripartite and we were excited about what it could bring in terms of support for technologies like ours. Based on the feedback from industry actors, we hope the tripartite decides to do more than what is currently being drafted. Read the article through the link in the comments?

“Everyone said it couldn’t be done. But two young entrepreneurs and their team have succeeded in developing a technique to make plant-based cheese that’s making many people sit up and take notice.” We recently sat down with Danish outlet Politiken to share the story of what we set out to do with F?RM, how our method evolved, and the potential it holds. From experimenting with blended and fermented nuts to transforming an old karate club in Vanl?se into our first lab, and hiring a team of biochemists, biotechnologists, and dairy engineers — the article covers how our solution was developed, not only helping dairy producers innovate but also making a significant, positive impact on both people and the planet. “We’ve found that the best way we can work with the industry is by helping them make better plant-based cheese. The advantage is that our technology can run on standard dairy equipment since it mirrors traditional processes,” says Mikkel Lau Dupont. Thank you, Mette M?lbak, for the great conversation and for sharing our story. Read the full article through the link in the comments!

We always love a good "Mmmmh". We recently had a visit from the Dansk Vegetarisk Forening (DVF) - Vegetarian Society of Denmark (DVF) (the Danish Vegetarian Association) at our HQ to discuss what challenges startups in the plant-based field face??? DVF is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting vegetarianism and veganism. They are currently working on a new series format about the challenges startups in the plant-based space face. While companies working in the traditional meat and dairy industries receive substantial government support, businesses focusing on veganism and vegetarianism often struggle to compete without similar backing — often resulting in more expensive products than the meat/dairy counterpart. What struggles do Danish startups encounter? And what would they like to see from policymakers? These, and other challenges, were discussed when we got together with the DVF team. And of course, Martin Keller got to taste our cream cheese. DVF made a nice video about their visit. Watch it through the link in the comments ??

LOOK! We’re on TV! ?? Tonight at 18:00 on DR1 (or right now on DR TV), Danes can learn (almost) everything there is to know about F?RM, our journey, and why we do what we do. For the past few months, we’ve worked with DR - Danmarks Radio to make an episode for the Danish docuseries ‘Jorden Kalder’ (in English: Earth Calling) about the environmental benefits of making cheese and milk substitutes from plant proteins. We love how DR takes a positive and solution-oriented spin on the need to act on the climate crisis. Let’s spend less time pointing out each other’s mistakes and instead present each other with solutions for lessening our businesses’ impact on the environment. Check out the comments for a direct link to the docuseries.

Sneak peek from the F?RM lab ?? Just look at these 100% plant curds. They’re made with an enzyme that makes the protein and fat in soy milk separate from the whey — a very important step if you want to make vegan cheese-like products. Actually, it’s the exact same thing you do when you make regular cheese — just using dairy milk. In this video, you see one of the prototypes that we’ve developed using our patented technology. Now we just need to press out excess whey, add some good bacteria and store the curds for maturation ?? We have already developed prototypes for vegan mozzarella, cheddar, cream cheese, and camembert-like cheeses — and we are working on more every day!

At F?RM, our workday starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m. every day. No weekend emails, no late-night data crunching. “We’re not just focused on sustainability in our products but in how we treat our team every day,” said Andrea and Mikkel in a recent interview with IDA. “It’s about creating a space where we can all bring our best selves to work without burning out.” Thank you, IDA, for featuring our approach to well-being and work-life balance! You can read the article here: https://lnkd.in/dY337TM5

A new era in our product analysis has kicked off! Thanks to our partnership with BioInnovation Institute, we have used GC/MS technology since June this year. The GC/MS machine (the one you see in the pictures below) allows us to analyze our cheese prototypes and compare them to dairy cheese in terms of composition, taste, and flavor. Basically, it's like an automated taste test — the technology investigates the taste notes and tells us how close we are to the dairy version of the cheese. This means we can compare our prototypes to dairy cheese in a data-driven way and get even closer to achieving the ‘real’ taste. It takes about 45 minutes to assess one sample - but with the number of prototypes we're cranking out, we’re already impatient! ??

Who should we speak to about plant-based cheese in the Netherlands? ???? The Dutch people love plant-based meat alternatives — the country is a real pioneer in the area. However, the consumption of vegan cheese alternatives is falling behind other vegan food categories. We want to help change that. Andrea and Mikkel recently spoke to FoodAgribusiness about our technology and our search for new partners to introduce new plant-based cheese alternatives — products that are made the exact same way as conventional cheese ?? No coconut oil. No modified starch. We’re not gonna hold it back — developing a Gouda substitute would be fantastic ?? Let us know who you think we should speak to, to make it happen! You can read the Food&Agribusiness interview here: https://lnkd.in/dFQPye3U