Bread goes moldy fast, but consumers don’t want chemical preservatives on product labels. So how do you keep loaves fresher for longer without compromising taste or texture?
One of seven startups recently joining Big Idea Ventures’ Global Food Innovation Fund II portfolio, Argentina-based BioBlends makes gas-based bio-preservatives that it claims can enable bakers to have their cake and eat it too by cleaning up labels and extending shelf life.
The volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are produced by bacteria, are highly effective against mold and can be transported in liquid form, says the company, which identifies VOCs that are effective against specific fungal contaminants and naturally-occurring microbes that produce them.
The firm, which has started piloting its tech in the bakery sector with a leading industrial producer, says early results show improved microbiological performance versus current preservation methods, easy integration into existing processes without capex or operational changes, and no impact on the flavor, aroma, or texture of the food products in question.
AgFunderNews (AFN) caught up with cofounder and CEO Sebastián Zaera (SZ) to get the lowdown on VOCs for food preservation.
AFN: Tell us about the origins story of BioBlends
SZ: We’re about to have our first anniversary, so we’re very new. We have a team of four cofounders, three women that have been working in academia for many years (Dr. Pía Di Peto, COO; Nadia Regina Chalfoun, CSO; Dr. María Laura Tortora, CTO), whereas I come more from a business background. So we have this mix of profiles, which is super enriching for a team.
We were born through a program from GRIDX, a company builder and VC firm in Latin America that invests in different deep tech biotech companies.
Our idea was using volatile compounds produced by bacteria for shelf-life extension. We started interviewing companies from different food verticals to understand the challenges facing the industry and saw that most of the solutions are either chemical such as preservatives or the use of modified atmospheres or physical solutions such as refrigeration, and there was a lack of innovation. And for some categories, there weren’t many available options.
It’s a particular challenge in the bakery sector, as there’s a lot of moisture in baked products, which creates the risk of contamination by mold, so we decided to focus our first MVP [minimum viable product] on that sector.
AFN: Are you genetically engineering microbes to produce your VOCs?
SZ: No, they are natural microbes isolated from agricultural environments in the north of Argentina. We could consider genetic modification at some point, but it’s something we have not done yet.
AFN: Are the VOCs secreted by the microbes into the fermentation broth?
SZ: Yes. The compounds are extracellular, meaning they are secreted into the fermentation medium.
AFN: How do you capture the VOCs from the fermentation and transport them?
SZ: Due to their properties, VOCs reach equilibrium between the liquid and gas phases. The simplest approach is to extract them from the liquid phase by purifying the fermentation medium directly.
If a VOC is concentrated in the gas phase, we could use condensation or adsorption/desorption methods. In all cases, the compounds will be obtained in liquid form at the end of the process. That’s how we plan to commercialize them.
Logistics and production are way simpler if you transport liquids rather than gases.
AFN: What’s new here? Aren’t VOCs such as ethanol, acetic acid, and diacetyl already used to preserve things like bread?
SZ: Some VOCs are already used in food preservation, typically through emitting sachets or sprays. We are exploring novel alternatives; however, due to confidentiality, we cannot disclose the specific compounds we are working with at this stage.
We have some compounds that are novel and others that are already used in the food industry, but not as preservatives.
AFN: What delivery systems are you looking at for your VOCs?
SZ: Our technology is highly versatile and can be integrated into diverse production environments. We are currently evaluating several application methods. For packaging applications, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) with added VOCs is one of the most straightforward strategies for producers already using MAP.
For manufacturers using other packaging systems, we are also exploring spray applications and active packaging approaches.
Importantly, our VOCs do not require continuous contact with the product throughout its shelf life. This allows us to test short, targeted applications such as VOC pulses during the cooling phase which may reduce implementation complexity while maintaining preservation efficacy.
But we are not incorporating them into the actual recipe, so they are not listed on the ingredients list. It’s a game changer in terms of how we are currently preserving food.
AFN: What kind of shelf-life extensions can you achieve with your VOC tech?
SZ: We have achieved 55 days of shelf-life in the laboratory where we create all the conditions so that fungi can grow [on selected baked products]. Of course, microbial contamination is just one part of shelf life. It would make no sense to have bread with a really long shelf-life that doesn’t get moldy for months, but gets hard [as it loses moisture], for example.
AFN: Are you offering single VOCs or combinations?
SZ: Multiple, that’s where the word BioBlends comes from. The idea is to have a combination of these compounds. We are working with bioinformatics so we can start accelerating the way in which we analyze which microbes produce which compounds, and what effect the compound has on different types of contaminant, and we are starting to analyze the synergies between these compounds.
We are seeing that when you mix them, sometimes you get an effect that is much better than what you see when you use them individually.
AFN: Are your VOCs just effective against fungi/mold?
SZ: So far it’s just mold, but we think we can potentially tackle some bacteria in future.
AFN: What feedback are you getting from bakers?
SZ: The industry has products with a very short shelf life. If you’re an organic bread producer that uses no preservatives, it’s just five days. So there are markets that they cannot supply. You have to produce and deliver the same day or the next day so you don’t always have an optimized supply chain.
Then there are other companies that are using preservatives to extend shelf-life but they are under pressure to remove them from their labels because people want fewer additives. So they are very interested in having something that is not incorporated in the actual mixes [recipes].
We can help them make bread with no preservatives, and some companies will go that way. Other companies maybe want the combination of their current methods and using our VOCs for extra assurance.
AFN: What commercial progress have you made so far?
SZ: We signed our first LOI [letter of intent] with one of the top five global bread manufacturers. We’ve also got multiple NDAs with different companies not only in the bakery sector, but also in other sectors, from snacks to plant-based products. We also engage with medium-sized manufacturers near our laboratory where we are conducting our tests so we can iterate very quickly.
Right now we’re looking to convert this initial traction into paid pilots and contracts, and starting to get prepared for a seed round so that we can scale.
AFN: Which markets are you targeting first and is that partly driven by regulatory factors?
SZ: Initially we are targeting the USA and working with consultants to define the regulatory pathway. We are then considering Argentina, where we have a strong network, and we have started having discussions in Chile and Brazil. Europe is also a tremendous fit for the technology but the regulatory pathway can be a little bit longer there.
AFN: How have you funded the company so far?
SZ: With GRIDX in the first place and then the check from Big Idea Ventures, and then we have two very small grants as well.
Further reading:
Bountica harnesses ‘nutritional immunity’ to disrupt food preservatives market
Could plant cell culture pave the way for the next generation of antioxidants and antimicrobials?
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