Chr. Hansen launches next generation of FreshQ food cultures for fermentation-enabled bioprotection of dairy products

By Jim Cornall

- Last updated on GMT

Chr. Hansen has launched its next generation of FreshQ for improving the bioprotective effects of fermentation in dairy. Pic: Getty Images/kzenon
Chr. Hansen has launched its next generation of FreshQ for improving the bioprotective effects of fermentation in dairy. Pic: Getty Images/kzenon
It has been almost a decade since global bioscience company Chr. Hansen launched its first generation of FreshQ, a range of food cultures for improving the bioprotective effects of fermentation in dairy.

Through this process, the cultures and fermentation help keep food fresh by outcompeting yeast and mold spoilage for the space and nutrients they require to grow.

“We utilize traditional fermentation principles to help improve quality and shelf life and reduce waste,”​ said Peter Thoeysen, Chr. Hansen’s director of Bioprotection.

Now, the company is launching the next generation of FreshQ cultures, specifically developed to unlock the benefits of bioprotection for producers who may experience challenged cold chains, long fermentation, and in-process holding times. The special food cultures can be applied to a broad range of fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, white cheese and tvorog.

The new generation of FreshQ features less post-acidification impact at accelerated temperatures during distribution, or in circumstances involving long holding times or slow cooling; an improved sensory fit compared to other food cultures with bioprotective effects; and the same bioprotective performance as the rest of the FreshQ range.

“For customers looking to trim food waste and produce the best possible products under challenging production and distribution circumstances, this new launch is a game changer,”​ Thoeysen said.

“Our new generation of FreshQ cultures has been selected to enable resilient, consistent outcomes without undesirable impacts on taste and texture — resulting in optimized shelf life, improved sustainability throughout the value chain, and superior freshness that our customers and their consumers can count on.

“At Chr. Hansen, we are committed to shaping a more resilient industry that can, in turn, shape a more sustainable world.  We believe that succeeding in this area means holistically re-examining how the global community consumes food and innovating with long-term outcomes in mind. We aim to contribute to lasting resilience at the individual and community levels by supporting the creation of dairy options that support sustainable lifestyles without the need of adding artificial ingredients. This way, consumers can feel great about their decisions as they enjoy the tasty foods they love.”