Primarily based in Lviv – the architecturally-rich metropolis in western Ukraine – ExtraCell’s product portfolio contains yeast extracts, inactive yeasts, and autolyzed yeast.
ExtraCell belongs to Enzym Group, a significant firm in Ukraine with a historical past courting again to 1870. The corporate is a frontrunner within the manufacturing of yeast for the home market and exports about 40% of its merchandise to 13 European international locations.
In 2019, Enzym took the strategic choice to rework from a yeast firm right into a biotech firm and the ExtraCell model was born.
Within the autumn of 2022 it launched an in-house high-end manufacturing website for ExtraCell merchandise subsequent to its present premises in Lviv. ExtraCell’s yeast substances are used to enhance flavour in a variety of merchandise, together with condiments, sauces, seasonings, snacks, processed meat, plant-based options to meat and fish, prompt meals and prepared meals.
“Our core enterprise is promoting yeast to bakeries throughout Belgium, Holland, Germany and Central and Japanese Europe,” defined Enzym Industrial Director Serhii Lavrov.
“When it comes to primary yeast manufacturing, we’re one of many largest unbiased producers in Europe, with 50,000 tonnes of fermentation capability. From this 50,000 tonnes we will produce recent yeast, dry yeast or yeast-based extracts.”
For the time being, 70% of its manufacturing is geared to creating recent yeast. Nevertheless it plans to lift its manufacturing of yeast-based extracts. Yeasts have been utilized in conventional biotechnology for manufacturing of fermented meals and drinks for 1000’s of years. Talking with FoodNavigator on the current FiE commerce occasion in Paris, Lavrov mentioned the corporate had noticed rising curiosity in fermented substances from Europe’s meals producers looking for more healthy and extra sustainable options.
“Individuals right here [at FiE] are very considering it as a result of it’s a difficult business which is breaking the principles within the meals business. What we see are the habits of individuals altering, and this new biotech business may also help make meals extra wholesome, safer and sustainable.”
There are challenges on this house, nonetheless. Value is one. “After we suggest the merchandise from fermentation individuals typically say it is too costly,” admitted Lavrov, earlier than itemizing the dietary and purposeful advantages of yeast extracts as a meals ingredient.
The extracts present an umami flavour that’s long-lasting and wealthy, he defined. The know-how of manufacturing defines the flavour traits of yeast extracts: savoury, tacky, yeasty, or meaty. It’s a pure supply of glutamic acid that gives a wealthy, savoury style. Yeast extracts ideally masks the disagreeable flavours and assist to decrease salt and sugar content material and are a clear label various to MSG.
“Fermentation prospects are unbelievable as a result of contained in the yeast cell you’ve gotten beta glucans, omega saccharides and different wholesome polysaccharides,” Lavrov mentioned.
One of many firm’s tie-ups is with Kyiv-based plant-based meat firm Eat Me At, which is utilizing ExtraCell’s yeast extract to deliver umami notes to its product. “With out the yeast extract it does not have any style,” an organization spokesperson mentioned. “These extracts give the correct style that you simply recognise. It additionally has a very good aftertaste.”
The opposite problem is the necessity to modify merchandise to the wants of shoppers. “Yeast extract isn’t about simply the product,” defined Lavrov. “It’s about providing options for the meals business.”
Different options provided by ExtraCell, for instance, embrace flavour enhancement, off-note masking, enchancment of dietary profile, and clean-label options. These options are backed with a pilot manufacturing line, sensory panel, and associate community of outstanding meals consultants and establishments. “We wish to be extra versatile than our rivals and the extra particular in our options,” Lavrov informed us.
Underneath the shadow of aggression
There’s one other obvious problem the corporate faces. All its innovation and up to date manufacturing unit opening has occurred beneath the shadow of battle.
Lviv is within the far west of Ukraine, simply 70 kilometres from the Polish border. Its notoriously fairly structure (the historic centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Web site since 1998) is extra like Vienna or Krakow than Kyiv.
Town grew to become a key haven for Ukrainians fleeing these components of the nation affected by the invasion. It has witnessed its justifiable share of struggling too and has been the goal of missile strikes as Russia has stepped up assaults on Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure within the run as much as winter.
“In fact, it is a unprecedented expertise and state of affairs,” mentioned Lavrov as he recounted the choice of the corporate administrators to re-locate their weekly Monday assembly to inside a bomb shelter.
“The alarms can occur at any time because the Russians have tried to hit our vitality system. We have purchased highly effective two-megawatt turbines which may assist our manufacturing even when we have now whole blackout in Ukraine.”
His coping mechanism, he informed us, has been to plough his efforts into the enterprise. “We’ve been doing all we will to assist our manufacturing and our workers,” he mentioned.
Round 50 of Enzym’s 370-strong Lviv-based employees left the nation and now work remotely, for instance. Some employees now in Lviv have fled from components of Ukraine now beneath Russian occupation.
“We’ve tailored; modified the logistics; modified the principles inside the corporate. Encouraging individuals to assume extra flexibly in a fast-changing state of affairs is the primary motive we have survived.”
Round 90% of the corporate’s uncooked substances, in the meantime, are sourced from Ukraine. “That is difficult as a result of some producers are beneath occupation, some producers are beneath bombing and had their premises ruined.”
Amid this, the corporate continues to innovate and develop new merchandise. It might launch its personal fermented merchandise, for instance.
“When you find yourself on this horrible state of affairs you want day-to-day routine,” noticed the Industrial Director. “What we attempt to do inside the firm is to focus on day-to-day routine. In fact, we all know all of the information. However it is advisable take into consideration the day-to-day routine; not in regards to the horror by which you might be [in]. Contained in the nation we try to do the very best.”
Tuesday December 20 marked the three hundredth day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Once more, it is a incontrovertible fact that Lavrov and his crew isn’t pondering.
“In Ukraine, we did not count on what occurred,” he defined. “We learn the specialists saying it can go this fashion, it can go that method. However we have now no selection. We do not wish to be beneath the Russians. We are going to battle to the top. We hope and imagine that the entire world will assist us. I do not know what is going to occur… it is arduous to consider it. Russians will strike for so long as they’ll, they haven’t any sentiments about this. We try to not to consider it as a result of it is going to be long-term. However each day routine; making yeast and sending it to bakeries… it helps us quite a bit.”
