Forno has received a record amount of money from investors

The budding producer of mozzarella and ricotta cheeses without the use of cow's milk has received a record amount of money from investors who want to take advantage of the growing market for organic dairy alternatives. Forno received a record amount, receiving 50 million US dollars, which is a record amount in Europe for a food technology company. The company will use the money to expand its range with matured and ripened cheeses, such as cheddar and Swiss hard gruyere cheese. It will also expand the technology of precision fermentation. "We are talking about a product that must go to the mass market or be produced in large volumes, so we are now working on expansion," said Raffael Wohlgensinger, co-founder and CEO. "We want to broaden our focus and really make sure we can cover almost every type of cheese you can imagine." Investors are putting money into a new generation of start-ups that are trying to emulate the enjoyment of cheese consumption without livestock farming having an impact on global warming. In recent weeks, for example, the American company Miyoko’s Creamery or the Swedish Stockeld Dreamery have secured the money. Larger companies, such as Oatly, then see this area as a new opportunity to expand products. Forno was formerly known as Legendairy Foods GmbH. Its aim is to copy the same taste and texture in its products as real cheeses. Its precision fermentation technology uses microbes that produce proteins. These are then the basis of the cheese. "Our products contain real milk proteins, but we don't get them from cows," said Britta Winterberg, co-founder and scientific director. "We get them from our microorganisms." The company focuses on markets where it can first obtain regulatory approvals. These include Singapore, followed by Israel, the Middle East and finally Europe. Because the products will not contain lactose, they will be particularly attractive for the Asian market, where lactose intolerance is more common, Wohlgensinger added.