DSM launches portfolio of all-in-one cultures for fermented milk using AI collaboration platform

Royal DSM, a global, purpose-led, science-based company, today unveils its first portfolio of all-in-one cultures for fermented milk products developed using its new AI-powered Culture Co-Creation Platform. DSM’s Delvo®ONE portfolio is made up of five cultures offering taste, texture and health benefits – all with built in bioprotection. This full-service culture portfolio was made possible by DSM’s new Culture Co-Creation Platform. Combining DSM’s industry leading expertise with machine learning, the new platform enables yogurt manufacturers and DSM to collaborate on unique solutions that deliver on multiple product targets at the same time.

Current standard practices for selecting and testing cultures for fermented milk products involve lengthy, complicated and often siloed processes. Generally, dairy producers separately assess starter cultures for taste and texture properties, bioprotective cultures for shelf-life properties and probiotic cultures that support with health benefits. Not only is this a long process but testing each culture in isolation can lead to unintended interactions once combined in an application. For example, when combining bioprotective cultures with starter cultures, manufacturers often see increased post-acidification which can negatively affect taste and texture properties.

The five culture blends are Delvo®ONE Alpha and Delvo®ONE Gamma offering taste, texture and bioprotective benefits; Delvo®ONE Alpha-B and Delvo®ONE Gamma-B that also contain the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis lactis Bif-6; and Delvo®ONE Zeta-C that contains the probiotic strain Lacticaseibacillus casei L26.

A first of its kind, DSM’s new Culture Co-Creation Platform connects dairy producers with next generation technology and scientific expertise to create holistic solutions that are designed to be used as one combined solution rather than distinct cultures. The platform improves the accuracy and speed of dairy producers’ new product development by reducing trial complexity during the culture selection process. 

The co-creation starts with the yogurt producer and DSM together clarifying the specific performance needs for an application. For example, this could include a longer shelf life, creamier taste, better texture and improved nutritional profile. These needs are translated into a clear, objective function for the machine learning framework to use. The machine learning platform allows for an efficient exploration of blend designs, proposing the best new culture combinations to be tested in the lab. Through several machine learning iteration cycles, the blends are incrementally improved until the performance targets are met. The most promising solutions are tested in application at pilot scale to verify their performance. DSM experts then work with the yogurt producer to select the best performing blends to suit their requirements. The final stage involves validating the taste, texture, health benefits and shelf life of the product in real-world conditions to ensure it meets the producer’s and consumers’ expectations.

Combining DSM’s industry leading expertise with machine learning, the AI-powered Culture Co-Creation Platform enables yogurt manufacturers and DSM to collaborate on unique solutions that deliver on multiple product targets at the same time. 

DSM used this new platform to create its Delvo®ONE portfolio which features five culture blends that contain starter and bioprotective cultures and optionally probiotic cultures. With built in bioprotection, manufacturers and consumers can benefit from reduced food waste as yogurts stay fresh throughout an extended shelf life. The five culture blends are Delvo®ONE Alpha and Delvo®ONE Gamma offering taste, texture and bioprotective benefits; Delvo®ONE Alpha-B and Delvo®ONE Gamma-B that also contain the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis lactis Bif-6; and Delvo®ONE Zeta-C that contains the probiotic strain Lacticaseibacillus casei L26. Each culture blend offers unique benefits and sensory profiles for various yogurt applications. The portfolio will allow customers to better achieve their needs for taste, texture, level of post-acidification, and probiotic cell count with one convenient and cost-effective solution. 

“We are excited to offer customers a simplified culture selection process with five all-in-one blends to help create market leading yogurts,” comments Sarita Bairoliya, Global Business Manager at DSM. “With DSM’s Culture Co-Creation Platform and our new Delvo®ONE portfolio, we are helping dairy manufacturers gain improved control over the sensory, technical and shelf-life properties of yogurts all at once, saving valuable time and resources. With 100+ years in biotechnology, we have now taken the next step in combining machine learning with DSM's team of experts. This has helped us uncover new culture combinations - with results that surprised even us! There are billions of possibilities when working with cultures, and we understand that each customer has unique requirements. With DSM’s Culture Co-Creation Platform and the Delvo®ONE portfolio, together we can identify the right solution faster and increase our chances of success.”