Innovation with Bite: The Technology Behind Planted

Globally, 340 million tons of meat are produced annually, with an upward trend. The consequences are dramatic: The livestock industry emits enormous amounts of greenhouse gases and burdens the global water balance. Rapid breeding comes at the expense of animal welfare, and excessive meat consumption can have health consequences.

Ecology, animal welfare, and health: "For these three reasons, more and more people are meeting their essential protein needs with plant-based foods," says Lukas Böni, co-founder and head of innovation at the Zurich foodtech company Planted.

In the 2010s, consumer demand led to a wide range of alternative meat products, made from protein-rich legumes like soy, beans, peas, or lentils. However, what was missing at the time was a meat substitute without chemical additives that improve texture or prolong shelf life.

"We wanted to change that," recalls food technologist Böni. Six months after completing his doctorate, he founded the company Planted with Eric Stirnemann and Judith Wemmer, whom he knew from ETH, along with two economists, Christoph Jenny and Pascal Bieri.

Yellow peas, oil, water, and salt.

The first product was based on Eric Stirnemann's doctoral thesis at the Institute for Food and Nutrition Sciences at ETH Zurich, titled "Viscoelastic Flow of Plant Protein Melts under High Moisture Extrusion Conditions." Stirnemann's fundamental research made it possible to extrude a dough made from yellow peas, water, rapeseed oil, and salt (pressing a mass through an opening) that resembled a piece of chicken in color, bite, and texture.

In May 2020, just a few months after the company's founding, Coop put 'Planted Chicken' on its shelves. Meanwhile, Planted's vegan meat is available in more than 6,500 restaurants and over 10,000 retail outlets across Europe.

The five young entrepreneurs were convinced: More had to follow. The path that should lead to new products in the medium term was also undisputed: fermentation, a biochemical process that humanity has been using for millennia and has never lost its significance.

Refining with Microorganisms.

Fermentation, along with heating, is indeed one of the most important processes in the food industry. Foods as varied as sauerkraut, beer, cheese, chocolate, yogurt, or wine owe their flavors and textures to at least one refinement step with bacteria and other microorganisms.

Böni had been interested in microorganisms since his teenage years. As a school project, he handed his teacher homemade chocolate. In the spring of 2021, he started developing a meat substitute; together with Patrick Rühs, the then scientific director of Planted and now a professor at the Institute for Food Sciences, Nutrition, and Health at ETH Zurich. The two studied how extruded protein blends react to fermentation and combined the two methods into a new approach to refine taste and texture.

When questions arose that exceeded the scientific capabilities of a startup, the Planted experts sought collaboration with universities; for example, with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).

In a project with ZHAW's Food Biotechnology Research Group in Wädenswil, entire collections of microorganisms were searched. The goal: Detection of fermentation bacteria that transform undesirable taste into pleasant aroma.

Each fermentation product was evaluated; first with sight and smell. If something looked or smelled promising, it went to the lab. There, researchers examined its microbiological composition, pH value, juiciness, salt content, and decomposition products.

Internationally Recognized Research.

"We find a lot of foodtech expertise nearby," says Lukas Böni. The nutrition science institutes of ZHAW in Wädenswil, ETH Zurich, or the University of Freiburg form an innovation cluster with international appeal. Over the years, says Böni, a vast network has emerged: "That helps us see what colleagues from research have in the pipeline."

In March 2023, a breakthrough occurred: A small piece of fermented red plant meat made from soy met the high standards in terms of color, juiciness, and texture.

Then it was the chefs and cooks of Planted's turn. The foodtech company runs three large kitchens at its headquarters on the former Maggi site in Kemptthal, Zurich. The prototype was subjected to a taste test. A tasting series with management went splendidly.

"It was a wow moment for all of us," recalls Böni. Shortly thereafter, management decided to focus financial and human resources on the new 'Planted Steak.'

Strong Growth in Core Markets.

The effort paid off: The following year, Coop became the first retailer to add the plant-based steak to its assortment. Listings followed at Rewe and Kaufland in Germany, Tesco in the UK, Carrefour in France, Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, as well as Migros in Switzerland. This summer, a new fermentation plant in Memmingen, Bavaria, began operations. Production is steadily increasing. 'Planted Steak' already contributes around 20 percent to turnover.

Planted has so far financed itself through so-called "business angels" and venture capital investors. The investors come from Switzerland, Europe, and the USA, with the team raising a total of 115 million Swiss francs in several funding rounds.

By the end of 2025, the founding members created 200 jobs. The workforce produces around 20 tons of alternative proteins daily. Now it is essential to capitalize on the technological edge and establish Planted as a European innovation leader.

Meanwhile, food technologist Böni continues to commute between lab and kitchen. The next project is fermented cold cuts. Once again, the foundations are experiments with bacteria and molds.

The text of this press release, a downloadable image, and further information are available on the Swiss National Science Foundation website.

Press Contact:
Swiss National Science Foundation
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