The past few years have seen a boom of innovative companies looking to produce food ingredients using microbial fermentation instead of via traditional agricultural means, such as plant or animal farming. It can take months and years to grow the plants and animals that are the source of foods and ingredients used in modern food systems, yet microbes have the potential to double their biomass in a matter of hours and are capable of producing specific proteins while doing so.
Microbial fermentation has been used for years in the food industry to produce ingredients such as enzymes and in the biopharma industry. The transformative capability of microbial fermentation is deeply rooted in human history, with evidence showing humans have been leveraging fermentation for more than 5000 years.
Will fermentation, the oldest food processing technique, power the future of the food industry?
In this webinar, our experts answer questions like:
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- How does fermentation work?
- What are the different types of fermentation (e.g. traditional fermentation, precision fermentation, etc), and which ingredients or foods are each responsible for producing?
- What are the current challenges and opportunities in fermentation?
- How is fermentation science driving innovation in the food and beverage industry, and how might it become a much larger component of producing what we eat in the future?
Our experts:
Jacques Georis, PhD, Global Fermentation Science & Functional Technologies R&D Director, Kerry
Jacques Georis is Global Fermentation Science & Functional Technologies R&D Director at Kerry. In his role, he oversees Fermentation Science and Functional Technologies R&D activities within, Kerry Applied Health & Nutrition Jacques has over 25 years of experience in the field of the microbiology & biotechnologies, specialising in microbial engineering, upstream and downstream bioprocess development, industrialization & manufacturing scale up, applied enzymology and innovation portfolio management Jacques holds a PhD in Biochemistry Science (University de Liege, Belgium) and an associated degree in Innovation Management (Louvain School of Management, Belgium). He has a passion for sports cycling & arts.
Melissa Sheridan, MSc, Senior Marketing Director, Kerry
Melissa Sheridan is Senior Marketing Director for Kerry’s Applied Health and Nutrition division, where she has responsibility for leading the global marketing strategy for a diverse portfolio of technologies, which create a healthier and more sustainable world. Melissa holds a Master of Science in Digital Marketing from University College Dublin, Ireland and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. Prior to joining Kerry in 2016, Melissa held commercial and marketing roles of increasing responsibility with Abbott / AbbVie, including as Senior Global Marketing Manager for Neurology in Ireland and France. Melissa has also held commercial and regulatory positions with 3M and Firmenich in the UK.
Frank Delvigne, PhD, Professor of Microbial Biotechnology, Université de Liège
Frank Delvigne, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Bio-Industries at the University of Liège in Gembloux, Belgium. His research interests include bioreactor modelling, bioprocess scale-up and scale down, and microbial stress analysis. He also serves as Vice-Dean for Research and President of the Agro-Bio Tech Research Unit at the University of Liège.
