Tetra Pak has joined forces with Danish biotech company Swan Neck Bio to simplify one of the most complex hurdles in scaling up the industrial production of fermented food alternatives. Together, the two partners are introducing a streamlined solution that eliminates the need for producers to handle the demanding seed preparation stage, which has long been a bottleneck for companies trying to commercialize new fermentation-based products.
This partnership strengthens Tetra Pak’s growing commitment to the alternative food space, particularly in supporting startups and manufacturers working with biomass and precision fermentation. These production methods hold massive potential but are often stalled by the technical challenges of moving from lab-scale research to full industrial output.
At the center of this collaboration is DIRINOC™, a ready-to-use, high-density starter culture developed by Swan Neck Bio. Unlike traditional methods that require companies to grow and manage their own microbial strains from scratch, DIRINOC™ allows for direct inoculation—significantly lowering contamination risks and ensuring more consistent yields. That consistency is critical for manufacturers trying to maintain quality and scale production reliably.
Tetra Pak has already embedded this solution into its New Food Development Center in Karlshamn, Sweden. There, food producers can conduct early-stage testing without committing to heavy investments or full-scale infrastructure. The flexibility of this setup means that companies can fine-tune their processes and formulations in a controlled, low-risk environment before ramping up to full production.
By removing a common point of failure in the early phases of development, this approach allows producers to focus on optimizing their recipes and achieving consistent product quality—two crucial elements for long-term success in the competitive alternative protein market.
“This tackles one of the biggest roadblocks in industrial fermentation,” said Rafael Barros, who leads Tetra Pak’s New Food division. “It helps accelerate product development while reducing operational risks.”
Troels Prahl, co-founder of Swan Neck Bio, emphasized the broad impact of the partnership. “By combining our robust inoculation technology with Tetra Pak’s industrial know-how, we’re giving producers a stable framework from pilot to production,” he said.
Together, the two companies are betting on a more efficient, reliable path for the next generation of sustainable foods—offering a practical solution to help a fast-growing sector scale with confidence.
