BEL AND STANDING OVATION REVOLUTIONIZE THE VALORIZATION OF DAIRY CO-PRODUCTS 16/04/2025

• A breakthrough innovation: precision fermentation adds value to serums by creating a new bovine casein protein.
• This new technology optimizes dairy resources with a sustainable and responsible approach to milk production.
• This partnership will provide an opportunity to validate industrial-scale implementation.

A disruptive innovation for a sustainable food supply

Bel Group and Standing Ovation, a French biotech pioneer specializing in the production of alternative proteins and an expert in precision fermentation applied to dairy proteins, announce a major technological breakthrough in the dairy industry with the introduction of an innovative precision fermentation process allowing to valorize dairy effluents such as whey into casein proteins. This unique innovation is part of a dynamic circular economy and meets the challenges of food sovereignty and sustainability.

An innovative technology to optimize dairy resources

Caseins are the main protein in milk, essential for the manufacture of many dairy products. Today, some of the acid whey from cheese production remains under-utilized. Thanks to its patented precision fermentation technology, Standing Ovation has developed a process capable of transforming the serums supplied by Bel Group into functional proteins, thus offering a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional dairy supply chains.

A circular economy model applied to the dairy industry

The partnership between Bel and Standing Ovation is based on a sustainable and responsible approach to dairy farming:

• Waste reduction: transforming a by-product into a valuable resource.
• Optimizing production flows: integrating serums into an innovative value chain.
• Commitment to sustainability: a technology that reduces carbon footprint and promotes more resource-efficient production.

A step forward in line with Bel’s strategy

This collaboration is fully in line with the Bel Group’s vision of achieving zero destruction of edible products and 100% recovery of food waste when destruction is unavoidable. By integrating innovative technological solutions, Bel is strengthening its commitment to a more virtuous and circular production model.

Through this partnership, the two companies aim to :

• Accelerate the industrialization of the precision fermentation process applied to serums.
• Develop industrial applications for dairy caseins in various food products.
• Actively contribute to the evolution of agri-food practices towards a more sustainable management of resources and thus support food sovereignty.

“This partnership illustrates how Bel is committed to FoodTech for the future of food and food sovereignty. It also demonstrates the confidence innovative start-ups such as Standing Ovation have in us to transform the food model. Standing Ovation’s technology, combined with our cheese-making expertise, enables us to put this technological innovation into practice, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for imagining tomorrow’s recipes and products, combining nutritional quality, accessibility and responsibility. It’s a guarantee that we’ll be able to offer products that meet the expectations of tomorrow’s consumers,” emphasizes Caroline Sorlin, Director of Investments and Collaborations with Startups at Bel Group.

“Thanks to this process, which represents a breakthrough innovation for the entire dairy industry, we are optimizing the manufacture of dairy products by enabling manufacturers to reintegrate whey directly into their production cycle. This local and circular approach reduces losses and reinforces supply at source, a key issue for the future of the sector and the major challenges of food sovereignty in Europe and worldwide,” explains Romain Chayot, co-founder and Scientific Director of Standing Ovation.

 “The acid whey serum contains minerals, sugar (lactose), organic acids, and very little protein. The process developed by Standing Ovation offers a new, sustainable source of protein, produced through fermentation from a by-product of the dairy industry. This partnership with BEL is particularly meaningful, as it embodies all of our core values: innovation, circular economy, sustainable development, and support for food sovereignty in Europe and around the world ” adds Yvan Chardonnens, CEO of Standing Ovation.

 “We’re proud to partner with Standing Ovation to develop this innovation, which illustrates our commitment to more sustainable food and our desire to reduce our environmental footprint while maximizing the value of our breeder-partners’ dairy resources. By valorizing existing resources with innovative approaches, we are promoting greater protein autonomy while preserving the natural resources essential to our industry,” emphasizes Anne Pitkowski, Bel Group Research and Applications Director.

 About Standing Ovation

Co-founded in 2020 by microbiologist and agronomist Romain Chayot, Standing Ovation is a French company specializing in precision fermentation. Winner of the French Tech 2030 program, it enjoys the support of the French government and major investors for its industrialization. In 2022, Standing Ovation signed a strategic partnership with the Bel Group. With its technology, the company has developed its first patented ingredient, an advanced casein called Advanced Casein®, very low in CO2 emissions, frugal in water and land use, with nutritional, taste and functional qualities equivalent to those of protein from livestock farming. Standing Ovation plans to market its flagship protein in the United States as early as 2026 and aims to become a world leader in food and environmental processing.

To find out more, visit Standing Ovation. https://standing-ovation.co/

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Press contacts

Bel Group

Mélanie Rigaud : [email protected] – 06.88.42.42.59

Standing Ovation

Image 7 / Roxane Planas : [email protected] – 0637058442