Chr Hansen A/S : . Hansen launches VEGA™ Culture Kit specifically developed for fermented plant bases

The VEGA™ Culture Kit is comprised of customizable starter cultures, probiotics and bioprotective strains for dairy-free alternatives to yogurt.

Press Release | May 11. 2021 08:03 GMT

Enables plant-based innovators to create customized and differentiated features for their products in taste, texture, health and sustainability

As dairy-free alternatives to yogurt, 'vegurts', gain traction worldwide, competition continues to grow among producers striving to offer consumers tasty, healthy and sustainable products. With today's launch of the VEGA™ Culture Kit designed for optimal results across the full scope of plant bases, Chr. Hansen aims to enhance its support of plant-based innovation.

The VEGA™ Culture Kit is comprised of customizable starter cultures, probiotics and bioprotective strains. With its comprehensive kit of solutions, VEGA™ delivers simplicity with robust performance while offering producers the flexibility to create customized and differentiated features for their products in terms of taste, texture, health and sustainability.

Elevating the art of fermented plant-based craftsmanship
'We are particularly excited about this launch because it gives us the opportunity to apply our 145-year legacy of work within the dairy industry to this highly innovative and rapidly growing segment of the market. We aim to leverage our deep expertise in food fermentation and history of close collaboration with producers to help the industry elevate the art of fermented plant-based craftsmanship,' says Dr. Ross Crittenden, Chr. Hansen's senior director for Commercial Development.

'Our track record of innovating, collaborating, and troubleshooting within the yogurt and fermented milk space has been instrumental in informing our design of the VEGA™ Culture Kit to fit the specific needs of the vegurt category,' says Crittenden. 'Because the composition of plant bases is more varied than traditional dairy products, it is particularly important to utilize cultures expertly selected to meet the performance demands of dairy-free applications. We designed the VEGA™ Culture Kit to be simple to use while still offering the flexibility to create differentiated products that satisfy the primary consumer drivers that power this growing category.'

The VEGA™ Culture Kit offers producers the following benefits:

• Enhanced taste and texture: VEGA™ offers an exciting new innovation; a choice of starter cultures that can differentially drive flavor and texture in plant-based yogurts. This allows producers to optimize for specific product characteristics by selecting the cultures that yield the results they are after.
• Probiotic support: VEGA™ nu-trish® blends of cultures enable consumers to enjoy the benefits of the world's most-researched probiotics, including Chr. Hansen's Bifidobacterium, BB-12® and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, LGG®. These cultures have been designed specifically for use in plant bases to ensure convenient delivery of the correct serving and stability of probiotics, all while delivering robust performance and clean flavor.
• Boosted sustainability credentials: VEGA™ FreshQ® culture solution supports a longer shelf life with superior freshness and fewer quality issues through the action of fermentation.

Customer support from ideation through to post-launch troubleshooting
'We hope our customers will appreciate our new VEGA™ cultures and come to see them as essential for crafting superior vegurts. We look forward to continuing our heritage of close collaboration and expert support of customers,' concludes Crittenden.

VEGA™ customers enjoy ongoing, hands-on support from Chr. Hansen's dedicated global team of plant-based fermentation experts and application laboratories, from ideation to post-launch troubleshooting. Chr. Hansen also invests in consumer and market research within the industry to ensure alignment between consumer needs and the features VEGA™ cultures bring to plant-based products.

This allows Chr. Hansen to offer additional support through tailored innovation sessions, concept samples, collaborative research and application assistance. By partnering with customers at every stage of product development, Chr. Hansen aspires to set a new standard for quality and customer service, co-creating delicious vegurts with tastes and textures that can rival those of more traditional dairy offerings.

Fact box
VEGA™ cultures are produced using ingredients that are dairy-free, contain no GMO ingredients and are free of any animal-derived substances. They are suitable for use in vegetarian, vegan, Kosher and Halal products.

VEGA™, BB-12®, LGG®, nu-trish® and FreshQ® are trademarks of Chr. Hansen A/S

Chr. Hansen is a global, differentiated bioscience company that develops natural ingredient solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. At Chr. Hansen we are uniquely positioned to drive positive change through microbial solutions. We have worked for over 145 years to enable sustainable agriculture, cleaner labels and healthier living for more people around the world. Our microbial and fermentation technology platforms, including our broad and relevant collection of around 40,000 microbial strains, have game-changing potential. Matching customer needs and global trends we continue to unlock the power of good bacteria to respond to global challenges such as food waste, global health and the overuse of antibiotics and pesticides. As the world's most sustainable biotech company, we touch the lives of more than 1 billion people every day. Driven by our legacy of innovation and curiosity to pioneer science, our purpose - To grow a better world. Naturally. - is at the heart of everything we do.