From your perspective, how is the role of microbial innovation shifting to meet the increasingly sophisticated quality standards of the plant-based dairy market?
SS: As plant-based dairy categories mature, their quality benchmarks are converging with those of traditional dairy: balanced nutrition, authentic flavor release, refined mouthfeel, and clean-label expectations.
From basic fortification to targeted nutritional architecture
Today, brands seek more nuanced, recognizable, and label-friendly sources of nutrients. Engevita® HiPRO Beyond illustrates this new paradigm:
It delivers a clean-label protein boost with high-quality amino acid composition. It integrates smoothly into plant bases without bringing off-notes.
It supports “source of protein” claims while maintaining a simple ingredients list.
From masking to directional flavor modulation and craveability
As plant bases diversify (oat, soy, pea, faba, blends), developers need more than masking solutions. They seek precision flavor tools that can steer a profile toward a targeted dairy analog—e.g., fresh yogurt, aged cheese, creamy mascarpone, etc.
This is where selected yeast extracts are transforming RGD workflows.
High-Lyfe® 605 A is a strong example of this next-generation approach.
Its kokumi effect boosts body, continuity, and mouth-coating perception, helping simulate dairy richness in plant yogurts and cheeses, reinforcing “roundness” in low-fat formulations, elevating the perception of creaminess without adding fat or flavorings.
CD: Plant-based dairy alternatives are currently among the most mature applications in the plant-based sector. As expectations for flavor and overall eating experience continue to rise, microbial innovation is increasingly focused on how fermentation can actively shape product quality rather than simply provide acidification.
From a fermentation perspective, a key challenge lies in the intrinsic sensory profile of many plant raw materials, especially legume-based matrices such as pea, faba bean, or soy. These ingredients naturally bring bitterness, astringency, or beany notes that must be managed if we want to approach dairy-like sensory standards. Historically, many cultures used in plant-based applications - particularly starter cultures - were not specifically designed for these matrices, which limited their ability to address such challenges effectively.
As a result, microbial innovation is shifting toward more targeted, plant-based application-specific cultures that can actively help rebalance off-notes and improve overall flavor complexity. At the same time, as plant-based raw materials continue to evolve, there is a clear need for ongoing development of starter cultures adapted to these new fermentation environments—an area we are actively working on, including with solutions such as LALCULT® Specialty LL05 and our latest LALCULT® Specialty LP100.
When aiming to replicate the traditional dairy experience, what are the primary advantages that Lallemand’s yeast-based solutions G specialty cultures offer for achieving an authentic texture and mouthfeel?
SS: When formulators aim to replicate the complexity of traditional dairy, Lallemand’s yeast-derived ingredients offer three key advantages that elevate mouthfeel, creaminess, and overall sensory performance—while preserving full control over the texture system, whether that is driven by fermentation, starches, gums, or proteins.
Added nutrition without structural disruption
One of the main constraints in plant-based cheese and dairy analogs is that many protein sources—especially plant isolates—tend to:
thicken the matrix unpredictably, bring graininess or chalkiness,
or interact negatively with the gelling/fermentation systems.
LBI Savory’s yeast-based nutritional sources (e.g., Engevita® HiPRO Beyond) overcome this challenge because they provide high-quality amino acid profiles, significant nutritional contribution, heat stability, all without altering the target viscosity, firmness, or melt.
Since they do not form gel networks or bind water the way legume proteins do, formulators can increase nutritional value while leaving the textural design to the intended drivers (such as fermentation, hydrocolloids (gums, pectins), starch systems, etc.
The result is higher protein density with full freedom to engineer the cheese’s texture as needed.
Enhanced creaminess, roundness, and continuity through yeast-derived kokumi
Selected yeast extracts such as High-Lyfe® 605 A, with their kokumi-active peptide fractions, add depth and mouth-coating sensation that are typically difficult to achieve in plant bases.
Importantly, these kokumi effects do not alter the rheology of the product; instead, they enhance perceived creaminess and fullness, compensating for the structural limitations of plant matrices.
This gives formulators an additional sensory lever—without touching texture-setting component.
CD: When it comes to replicating the traditional dairy experience, our specialty cultures offer a major advantage because they build directly on Lallemand Specialty Cultures’ long-standing expertise in dairy fermentation.
Our dairy culture portfolio is fully compatible with plant-based and vegan applications, which allows us to transfer well-established cheese-making know-how into plant-based formulations.
In surface-ripened plant-based cheese alternatives, for example, solutions from our VELV-TOP® range of Penicillium candidum or selected Geotrichum candidum strains within the FLAV-ANTAGE® portfolio enable manufacturers to use processes very similar to traditional cheesemaking to develop white bloomy rind plant-based products.
This results in a finished appearance, texture, and rind development that closely resemble conventional dairy products, while also contributing to aromatic complexity.
White-bloomy plant-based alternatives is only one application example. The FLAVANTAGE® portfolio enables a wide range of plant-based cheese styles development, including smear-ripened alternatives, thanks to a comprehensive range of surface and ripening cultures.
Beyond surface cultures, the specialty cultures we promote for plant-based applications help address key sensory gaps. Some starter cultures, such as LALCULT® Specialty LL05, contribute missing dairy-like notes, while others, like LALCULT® Specialty LP100, help reduce or transform off-flavors associated with plant-based raw materials. We are actively working on next-generation solutions that will combine these functionalities to further enhance the overall sensory authenticity in plant-based dairy alternatives.
What defines the overarching philosophy within Lallemand’s technical support framework for helping partners navigate sensory challenges and achieve a cleaner profile?
SS: A defining feature of Lallemand’s technical approach is recognizing that every plant base has its own identity, and that improving a formula must respect, i.a. the customer’s processing conditions, their nutritional objectives, their texture-building system (fermentation, starches, gums, proteins), their target sensory signature.
Instead of imposing a rigid ingredient solution, we adapt recommendations to what already works well in the recipe.
CD: Within Lallemand Specialty Cultures’ technical support framework, a key defining principle—fully aligned with what my colleague described—is the recognition that every plant-based matrix is unique and therefore requires a tailored approach. This awareness is especially critical in plant-based fermentation, where the way cultures perform is highly dependent on the nutrients available in the matrix and the overall formulation context.
Fermented plant-based applications cannot be addressed with a single logic. For example, developing a fermented plant-based cheese alternative does not require the same fermentation strategy, culture product selection, or sensory assessment criteria as a plant-based yogurt. Differences in raw materials, processing conditions, texture-building systems, and target sensory profiles all directly influence how microbial cultures express themselves.
Our approach is therefore application-driven and highly adaptive. Rather than imposing a predefined solution, we work to understand what already functions well in the recipe and integrate fermentation solutions that support the customer’s objectives—whether related to flavor balance, clean labeling, texture perception, or overall product acceptance.
Ultimately, our role is to help our partners develop products that meet their market expectations and, most importantly, deliver a satisfying sensory experience. To do so, we rely not only on objective data, such as analytical aroma profiling and technical measurements, but also place strong emphasis on tasting and sensory evaluation throughout development. This combination allows us to guide fermentation as a precise tool to resolve sensory challenges while ensuring the final product is genuinely enjoyable.
Beyond the specialised sessions, which broader industry trends or collaborative possibilities are you most eager to explore with the diverse community in Copenhagen this year?
CD: In the current context of geo-economic pressure, cost volatility, and supply chain uncertainty, fermentation is increasingly recognized as a strategic lever to enhance the robustness, flexibility, and overall performance of plant-based formulations. Beyond the specialized sessions, I am particularly keen to explore broader industry trends linked to the expanding role of fermentation across the entire plant-based value chain—especially the rapid emergence of fermented ingredients designed to deliver functionality, sensory improvement, and nutritional value.
This event also represents a unique opportunity to strengthen collaborations across the value chain. I strongly believe that the most impactful innovations in plant-based fermentation arise from co-development approaches, where challenges are addressed collectively at both the ingredient and application levels.
SS: I hope to engage with the community on how we can collectively build solutions that are not only technically strong but also relevant to evolving consumer expectations. Events like Bridge2Food are the ideal setting to connect these perspectives and spark new collaborative pathways.
Considering the gathering at Bridge2Food Europe 2026, what is the one unique insight or takeaway you hope the audience will walk away with?
SS: If there is one message I hope resonates with the community at Bridge2Food Europe 2026, it is that Lallemand’s contribution to the future of food goes far beyond a single category or technology. I want the audience to truly perceive the multiple facets of our microorganism-based expertise—a portfolio that spans Lallemand Bio-Ingredients (LBI), Lallemand Specialty Cultures (LSC), and capabilities of Solyve enzymes just to share few examples.
Together, these platforms showcase how Lallemand is uniquely positioned to support premium product development, targeted nutrition, and high-performance sensory design in ways that are natural, scalable, and deeply rooted in microbial and enzymatic innovation.
Lallemand is not just a supplier of ingredients—it is a multi-dimensional innovation partner, able to connect yeast science, culture expertise, and enzymatic solutions to help shape the next generation of food.
CD: From a fermentation perspective, I also hope the audience recognizes the strong opportunities toward fermented ingredients, not only finished products. Many of these ingredients now rely on dedicated fermentation steps to deliver targeted functionality, sensory performance, or nutritional value. This is where our specialty cultures play a key role, as they can address a wide range of technical and sensory needs across different matrices and processes.
Finally, we firmly believe that innovation in this space is driven by partnerships. Collaboration with our customers and partners is essential to co-develop meaningful, robust solutions. We are convinced that these collaborative approaches are a major source of new ideas and innovations, particularly in a context marked by geo-economic challenges and the need for more resilient and flexible food systems.