21st.BIO files EU Novel Food application for BLG Essential+™ and calls for a European home market for industrially proven precision fermentation technology for production of food

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21st.BIOs Novel Food application for the milk protein beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), marks a significant step toward producing high-quality proteins in Europe with fewer resources…

21st.BIOs Novel Food application for the milk protein beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), marks a significant step toward producing high-quality proteins in Europe with fewer resources while helping address supply constraints in the European whey protein market. When approved by EFSA, 21st.BIO's BLG Essential+ can enable resource-efficient milk protein production and sale in Europe using industrially proven precision fermentation technology. This highlights the need for a predictable, fast-track EU approval process for well-characterized, nature-identical food proteins produced using technologies with a demonstrated safety record.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 21st.BIO, a Danish industrial biotechnology company enabling low-cost, large-scale production of high-quality protein through precision fermentation, filed an EU Novel Food application for BLG Essential+™, its production technology for bovine BLG. The filing follows regulatory approval for sales in the US, obtained in October 2025. The company now offers the same technology to the European market.

Precision fermentation is an enabling technology for producing nutritious food ingredients, materials, and agricultural solutions. Denmark and Europe are already regions of excellence for precision fermentation, with innovation and industrial capabilities built over decades.

"Europe has the science, the companies and the industrial heritage in precision fermentation to lead the wave of healthy and nutritious food production," said Thomas G. Schmidt, co-founder and CEO of 21st.BIO.

"What Europe still needs is a home market that allows industrially proven technology to move from laboratories into fermentation factories built in Europe. A predictable, science-based route to market can strengthen food resilience, attract industrial investment and ensure that European innovation is commercialized in Europe."

BLG (Beta-lactoglobulin) is the predominant protein in whey protein from milk, valued for its high-quality…

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