Development
Successful fermentation starts with the right culture
Fermented food and feed products need a culture solution that gives them a series of precise characteristics. That could be a well-defined taste, texture or colour, specific nutritional benefits or an extended shelf life where quality and microbial safety remain stable throughout.
With our large strain collection as the starting point, we provide a range of specialised services to select the right culture for your needs. In our dedicated food fermentation facility, you can directly participate in the development of your fermentation process.
We can help you with:
- Screening for new bioprotective or starter cultures
We screen bacteria and fungi for protective or fermentation cultures that deliver customer-specific functional characteristics in the production of meat, dairy, vegetables, plant-based analogue products or other applications.
- Determination of technological characteristics
To determine the technological properties of individual strains, we carry out genotyping and test temperature profiles, production of nitrate reductase enzyme, lipolytic and proteolytic activity, bacteriocin production, osmotolerance, pH tolerance and growth abilities in various media. Many other tests are available depending on customer requirements.
- Safety assessment
Before microorganisms are used in food or feed or otherwise enter the environment, it is necessary to assess safety risks by testing properties such as antibiotic resistance, toxin production, biofilm formation and haemolytic activity.
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing ensures that the strain will not give an unintentional spreading of resistance to clinical antibiotics. We conduct these tests in accordance with the reference methods described by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing.
- In situ testing
Potential candidates for specific applications can be tested in situ in model systems or pilot scale production to document and verify their performance.
- From “wild” to controlled fermentation
If you would like to make your spontaneous fermentations stable, defined and repeatable, we can identify, isolate, and deposit the dominating microflora for their subsequent use as starter culture.