FERM FOOD

What FERM FOOD does

FERM FOOD ApS is a Danish producer of fermented plant protein ingredients, founded in 2019 by Jens Legarth as a subsidiary of Fermentationexperts A/S. The company applies a patented solid-state lacto-fermentation process using carefully selected lactic acid bacteria to convert locally sourced crops — including rye, oats, faba beans, and rapeseed cake — into functional food ingredients that provide binding, texturizing, water/fat binding, and natural preservation in a single component, eliminating the need for heat treatment, drying, or synthetic additives such as methylcellulose (E461). The dry process reduces production cost by up to 20% and CO2 emissions by 80% relative to conventional plant protein processing, and also breaks down antinutrients (glucosinolates, vicin/covicin, lectins) and allergens. Its product portfolio spans seven fermented ingredient lines (FERM FOOD Binder, Bread Binder, Fermented Rye, Oats, Faba Beans, Rapeseed, and Fruits/Vegetables), with the fermented rapeseed cake line protected by EU Novel Food authorization (EU 2021/120 and 2025/682).

FERM FOOD operates a B2B ingredient supply model, selling directly to food manufacturers, industrial bakeries, and foodservice operators under a quote-based pricing structure, and participating in trade shows such as Food Ingredients Europe for lead generation. Named customers and partners include Orkla Danmark (flagship co-development partnership for a plant-based patty using fermented rye), Tvedemose and the TVM Ingredients joint venture (fermented mushroom and vegetable products for EU distribution), Dansk Cater (Danish foodservice distribution), and Vadehavsbakeriet (specialty bakery). Revenue is generated through one-time ingredient sales, with pricing varying by ingredient type, form (flour, whole, broken), volume, and organic certification.

Production is anchored at a facility in Vejen, Denmark, supplemented by the acquired former Orkla manufacturing site in Skovlund effective April 1, 2026, which adds up to 20,000 tonnes of annual fermentation capacity. The company employs approximately 8-10 people across C-suite, development, engineering, and administration functions. Recent strategic milestones include EU Novel Food authorization for fermented rapeseed cake (April 2025), the EY regional Scale-Up Award (November 2025), the Skovlund acquisition (April 2026), and the launch of a dedicated gluten-free bread binder (June 2026).

Name

FERM FOOD

Legal name

FERM FOOD ApS

Website

https://ferm-food.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FERM FOOD is a Danish B2B producer of fermented plant protein ingredients for food manufacturers and industrial bakeries, using patented solid-state lacto-fermentation technology to deliver clean-label binding, texturizing, and preservation functionality across rye, oats, faba beans, and rapeseed.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-based food ingredients

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Fermentation-Derived Proteins (Precision Fermentation, Biomass Fermentation) (AFAJAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fermentation-Derived Alternative Proteins Manufacturing (Precision Fermentation) (AFAKAGAH), Cultures, Probiotics & Fermentation Ingredients (Starter Cultures, Yeast, Adjuncts) (CRADAOAI)

Keywords

• Plant protein ingredients
• Fermented food ingredients
• Solid-state fermentation
• Clean-label binders
• Plant-based ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Bække

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Fermented Ingredient Sales: B2B sales of fermented plant-based ingredients to food manufacturers. Ingredients are sold as functional components for use in bread, plant-based products, hybrid meat products, ready-to-eat legumes, and other food categories. Revenue is generated through direct sales of ingredients in various forms (flour, whole, broken/cut).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FERM FOOD ApS manufactures and sells a portfolio of fermented plant-based ingredients — including fermented rye, oats, faba beans, rapeseed, fruits and vegetables, and dedicated bread/general binders — produced via patented solid-state lacto-fermentation with selected lactic acid bacteria. These multifunctional B2B ingredients deliver binding, texturizing, preservation, and shelf-life extension in a single clean-label component for food manufacturers, industrial bakeries, and foodservice customers.

Product overview

FERM FOOD is a Danish producer of fermented plant ingredients for the food industry, using patented solid-state lacto-fermentation technology with lactic acid bacteria. The product portfolio consists of seven fermented ingredient products: FERM FOOD Binder (general-purpose fermented buckwheat and faba beans), FERM FOOD Bread Binder (gluten-free bread binder), Fermented Rye, Fermented Oats, Fermented Faba Beans, Fermented Rapeseed, and Fermented Fruits and Vegetables. These ingredients provide binding, filling, texturizing, and preservation functionality while reducing the need for additives and extending shelf life. Production facilities are located in Vejen and Skovlund, Denmark, with combined capacity of up to 20,000 tonnes annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FERM FOOD Binder Multifunctional fermented ingredient based on buckwheat and faba beans fermented with lactic acid bacteria; used by food manufacturers for binding vegetables, minced meat, and combined foods. Binds water and fat at room temperature, cooled, or after defrosting; gluten-free with high protein and fiber content.
• FERM FOOD Bread Binder Gluten-free fermented bread binder made from buckwheat and fava beans for industrial bakeries; delivers binding, water/fat binding, improved uniformity and volume, reduced crumbling, increased sliceability, and flavor complexity with a slightly tangy sourdough-like taste.
• Fermented Rye Locally sourced rye fermented with natural lactic acid bacteria; provides binding, filling, and texturizing properties and can replace meat in dishes like meatballs, burger patties, and plant-based ground meat. Available in cut/broken, fine flour, whole, and organic varieties.
• Fermented Oats Oats fermented with natural lactic acid bacteria; used as filler, binder, and texturizer in foods including bread, meatballs, burger patties, and plant-based ground meat. Available in fine flour, cut/broken, whole, and organic varieties.
• Fermented Faba Beans Faba beans fermented with natural lactic acid bacteria; high protein and fiber content with natural shelf-life extension. Available as flour or whole fermented beans. Reduces unwanted compounds like lectin, vicin, and covicin through fermentation.
• Fermented Rapeseed Rapeseed cake fermented with natural lactic acid bacteria; source of protein and fiber with natural shelf-life extension. Contains 28–30% protein with an amino acid profile that complements legumes. EU Novel Food authorized under EU 2021/120 and 2025/682. Mustard allergen.
• Fermented Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and vegetables fermented with natural lactic acid bacteria; the fermentation preserves the produce while sealing in natural color. Products can be used directly in foods and are distributed in the EU through partner TVM Ingredients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production cost reduction of up to 20% compared to conventional plant protein methods
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• DAKOFO (Danish Industry Association for Grain and Feed)minorOthers · 29 April 2025DAKOFO expressed strong support for FERM FOOD's EU authorization of fermented rapeseed cake. Director Emil Dalsgaard Hansen highlighted the approval as a huge advantage for EU rapeseed production and plant proteins for food. Association contributed guidance during the authorization process.
• TvedemosecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2023Collaboration to develop fermented mushroom ingredients using FERM FOOD's fermentation technology. Successfully created three new long-lasting clean-label mushroom products: sliced mushrooms, mushroom purée, and mushroom concentrate. Partnership resulted in formation of TVM Ingredients joint venture company for production and distribution of fermented vegetables in EU market.
• TVM IngredientscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 November 2023Joint venture company formed by FERM FOOD and Tvedemose to produce and distribute fermented vegetable products. TVM Ingredients handles manufacturing and sales of fermented vegetables within EU market. FERM FOOD's fermentation technology is applied through this distribution channel for vegetable products.
• Orkla DanmarkflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2023Strategic co-development partnership to create plant-based food products using FERM FOOD's fermented ingredients. Jointly developed plant-based patty using fermented rye that passed large-scale testing. Orkla Danmark provides market access and product development resources while FERM FOOD supplies functional fermented ingredients. Partnership aims to develop products for 20 most common dishes in European households.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Roquette: French global leader in plant-based ingredients (starches, polyols, proteins incl. NUTRALYS pea protein) sold B2B to food manufacturers. Directly comparable to FERM FOOD as a B2B supplier of plant protein ingredients, though with a much broader portfolio and deeper resources.
• PURIS: US-based B2B supplier of pea protein ingredients for food manufacturers, with vertically integrated non-GMO seed-to-ingredient operations. Comparable to FERM FOOD as a B2B plant-protein ingredient specialist targeting meat alternatives, bakery and beverages.

Broad incumbents

• Corbion: Dutch global market leader in lactic acid and its derivatives, with a food ingredients business focused on preservation, bakery and plant-based protein. Comparable to FERM FOOD through shared lactic acid bacteria fermentation expertise and overlapping bakery/preservation end markets.
• Kerry Group: Irish-listed global taste and nutrition company supplying ingredients and functional systems to food and beverage manufacturers. Comparable to FERM FOOD as a B2B functional-ingredient supplier addressing texture, binding and clean-label reformulation challenges in meat alternatives and bakery.
• Novonesis (formerly Novozymes + Chr. Hansen): Danish-headquartered global bioscience company combining enzyme/microbe platform (Novozymes) and cultures/probiotics (Chr. Hansen). Highly comparable to FERM FOOD's fermentation heritage and Danish roots, with overlapping application spaces in food cultures, probiotics and fermentation-based ingredients.
• AAK (Aarhuskarlshamn): Swedish-Danish specialty oils and fats company with growing plant-based food ingredients franchise. Comparable to FERM FOOD as a Nordic-headquartered B2B specialty food ingredient supplier focused on plant-based and clean-label solutions.
• Ingredion: US-listed global ingredient supplier of plant-based proteins, starches and sweeteners to food and beverage manufacturers. Comparable to FERM FOOD as a B2B plant-protein ingredient supplier, but at much larger scale and with a broader ingredient portfolio.
• Tate & Lyle: British-listed global ingredients supplier of sweeteners, texturants and plant-based proteins (incl. via its Primary Industries business). Comparable to FERM FOOD as a B2B supplier of plant-based food ingredients serving bakery, beverage and meat alternative customers.
• Cargill: Privately held US global food and agriculture giant with a sizeable plant-protein and specialty food ingredients business serving industrial bakery, meat and foodservice. Comparable to FERM FOOD through overlapping B2B customer base and active development of fermentation/plant-based ingredient capabilities.

Emerging players

• Formo: Berlin-based startup using precision fermentation to produce animal-free dairy proteins (cheese, casein, whey). Comparable to FERM FOOD as a European fermentation-derived protein company, but focused on dairy protein rather than plant-protein ingredients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ferm-food

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FERM FOOD