Standing Ovation

Where the wonders of science meet traditional cheese-making


Standing Ovation makes delicious dairy cheese that’s animal-free and lactose-free.

Founders
Frédéric Pâques, Romain Chayot

Founded
2020

Partnered
2021

HQ
Paris, France

Category
Innovating Agrifood Transformation Processes


Real cheese without cows, by manufacturing caseins through fermentation

Standing Ovation develops animal and lactose-free substitutes for cheese and dairy products, using dairy proteins produced by precision fermentation. Thanks to a simple but innovative process, the company produces caseins, without any recourse to animal products. All of the components of cheese can be found in sources other than animal milk, except for caseins – the proteins that give cheese its unique taste, texture and aroma. Unfortunately, caseins are notoriously tricky to make which is why current alternatives fall short of animal-based cheese in terms of taste, nutrition and texture.

Caseins are not only the major proteins in milk (over 80%), but also the proteins that allow it to curdle and give cheese its functional melting and stretching characteristics. Standing Ovation has shown that these caseins can then be used, with other products of vegetal or mineral origin, to obtain true replicas of cheese products.

Romain Chayot (left) and Frédéric Pâques (right), Standing Ovation co-founders

Global protein demand, and animal protein in particular, is increasing dramatically with a rapidly growing global population and global diets shifting towards animal-based products. However, there are clear environmental benefits in finding viable alternatives to animal-based products: cattle and dairy cows are one of the largest sources of GHG emissions, and livestock takes up nearly 80% of global agricultural land while producing only 20% of the world’s supply of calories. To produce 1 liter of animal milk, 144 liters of water are needed. Cheese in particular produces among the highest emissions per kg of product – around 24kg of CO2eq to be precise.
 
The founders are experienced biotechnologists in the field of precision fermentation, who have surrounded themselves with specialists in the food and cheese industries. With their expertise, Standing Ovation was able to develop a truly innovative technological process that represents a paradigm shift for the animal-free dairy market.