From Food Waste to Pecorino-Style Cheese: Ancient Wisdom Revived with Cutting-Edge Bio Technology

Ingredients Meant to Be Discarded Become the Next "Umami"

When people hear "food waste," they often think of household garbage, unsold vegetables at supermarkets, or leftovers from restaurants. However, a significant stage of food loss actually occurs in factories before reaching our tables. Okara left after soy milk extraction, grain residue from plant-based milk production, shells from cocoa bean processing, molasses from the sugar industry, and starch and fiber left after extracting pea protein. These have traditionally been used as animal feed, composted, or cheaply disposed of.

In the realm of food tech, these are not called "waste" but "substrates." They are seen as the foundation for microorganisms to grow, and through fermentation, they can enhance flavor, aroma, nutrition, and texture.

A recent development reported by the BBC highlights a cheese-like product derived from food waste, developed in the lab of Vayu Hill-Maini at Stanford University. It is not traditional cheese made from milk. Instead, it uses fungal fermentation to transform food by-products that would otherwise be discarded into a "Pecorino-like" or "Parmesan-like" product with saltiness and hardness suitable for grating over pasta.

Hill-Maini views fermentation not just as a preservation technique but as a method for redesigning ingredients. Microorganisms do more than just break down sugars and starches into alcohols and acids. They can decompose fibers like cellulose, which are difficult for humans to digest, into more digestible substances and proteins. In other words, parts considered "hard to eat" or "low value" are transformed by microorganisms into different food ingredients.

This is not an entirely new concept. Miso, soy sauce, natto, cheese, yogurt, beer, wine, and bread—fermentation is an "ancient food engineering" used by humanity for a long time. What is new is the combination of genome analysis, AI, precision fermentation, bioreactors, and chefs' sensory evaluations to turn industrial by-products back into high-value foods.

Is Mold "Rot" or a "Chef"?

The key to this technology is a fungus called Neurospora. In Indonesia, there is a traditional food called "oncom," made by fermenting okara left from tofu production. In this process, fungi grow on soybean by-products that are often discarded, turning them into edible fermented foods. Hill-Maini's research explores whether this traditional knowledge can be scientifically analyzed and applied to other food by-products.

It's important to note that this is not about "eating any mold." Some molds that spoil food can be dangerous. Eating mold that accidentally grows at home is risky and is entirely different from fermentation conducted with controlled strains, temperature, humidity, time, and hygiene in laboratories or food factories. Fermented foods involve human control over which microorganisms work under what conditions.

On social media, reactions to this point are clearly divided. People knowledgeable about fermentation view it positively, saying it's not as radical as headlines suggest and is rooted in Indonesian traditional fermentation. However, more general reactions express resistance to the combination of words like "food waste," "mold," and "cheese-like." In fermentation communities, there is practical interest in where to obtain starter cultures for safe fermentation, but in the broader social media space, there is persistent intuitive anxiety about whether it's really safe to eat.

This difference in reactions reflects the fundamental challenges faced by fermented foods. Even if something is scientifically safe and nutritious, people won't continue eating what they find "unpleasant." Conversely, in cultures familiar with natto, blue cheese, or kimchi, strong smells and the presence of bacteria can be appealing. Whether fermented foods derived from food waste become widespread depends not only on safety but also on the creation of names, appearances, aromas, ways of eating, pricing, and narratives that make people feel "this is not waste, but an ingredient."

The Comeback of Cocoa Shells, Peas, Molasses, and Okara

What makes the BBC article interesting is that not only Stanford's research but also companies worldwide are moving in the same direction.

In the UK, Fermtech is attempting to ferment cocoa shells, which are usually discarded, to create a cocoa powder alternative. Cocoa shells retain a chocolate-like aroma but are hard and fibrous, making them difficult for humans to use as food. By using microorganisms to break down plant tissues, there is potential to transform them into a more palatable material while preserving the aroma. The company's CEO describes themselves as "flavor miners," not extracting minerals from the ground but unearthing flavors and umami from discarded by-products.

In Spain, MOA Foodtech combines AI and fermentation. For example, when extracting plant-based protein from peas, the remaining majority becomes starch and fiber. These have often become cheap feed or waste, but the company uses AI to explore which microorganisms paired with which by-products can most efficiently create high-nutrient materials. The BBC article mentions that bio-process development, which used to take two weeks for one design, now reaches 300 designs per hour, symbolizing the shift from a world of intuition and prototyping to one of data and simulation in food development.

Germany's MicroHarvest uses by-products from the sugar industry, like molasses, to produce protein through microbial fermentation. The company emphasizes producing high-quality protein in 24 hours and is also expanding into the pet food market. Pet food presents a lower psychological barrier than human food and offers potential environmental benefits, making it a realistic introduction point for new protein materials. The BBC article highlights efforts to turn molasses into premium pet food and snacks with umami that suppress the bitterness typical of plant-based proteins.

Singapore's Mottainai Food Tech, as its name suggests, is inspired by the Japanese concept of "mottainai." A representative product is "Jiro Meat," an alternative meat made by fermenting okara left from tofu and soy milk production. While okara is nutritious, its high moisture content makes it prone to spoilage, making large-scale use challenging. By using solid-state fermentation, it is transformed into a plant-based protein material with texture and umami. The company is also working on developing plant-based tuna, using combinations of microorganisms to reduce bean odor and enhance umami and sweetness.

What emerges here is a new stage in food waste management. Traditional food waste management focused on "reducing waste" through donating surplus food, discounting unsold items, consuming everything at home, or composting. Fermentation food tech goes a step further. It is not just about "reducing waste" but "redesigning by-products as food ingredients from the start."

AI Accelerates Fermentation

Fermentation is an old technology, but modern fermentation business is no longer about "leaving it alone." The genome of microorganisms, fermentation temperature, moisture, pH, oxygen levels, nutrients, fermentation time, and the final aroma and texture—these combinations are vast, and humans don't have enough time to test each one.

This is where AI comes in. Companies like MOA Foodtech combine data on by-products and microorganisms to predict which conditions yield high yields or desirable nutritional values. This process lies between a chef creating a recipe and a chemical plant optimizing production conditions. Ultimately, it's not just about "being able to make it." It's about making it cheaply, in large quantities, safely, with consistent quality, and deliciously every time.

In this regard, fermentation food tech is not just a laboratory story. The commercial barriers are high. Safety of strains, regulations, consumer acceptance, allergen labeling, preservation, taste stability, production costs, partnerships with existing food manufacturers, and food approvals in different countries. Any one of these missing, and the "food of the future" that succeeded in the lab won't reach the market.

That's why it's important that Hill-Maini's lab emphasizes a chef-in-residence and R&D kitchen. Consumers won't be moved just because scientists say "it's nutritious." Can it be grated, does it melt, how's the aroma, does it go well with pasta, do chefs want to use it? The final evaluation as food is determined not only by analytical instruments but also by taste, smell, and culture.

Two Barriers to Popularization as Shown by Social Media

Social media reactions reveal two barriers to fermentation food tech.

The first is anxiety about safety. In fermentation-related communities on Reddit, there are voices evaluating the connection to traditional oncom and interest in obtaining starters for upcycling food waste using Neurospora. On the other hand, in more general food and mold-related posts, confusion frequently arises over the difference between "fermentation" and "spoilage." What is an attractive microorganism to fermentation enthusiasts may appear as "moldy food" to the general consumer.

The second is the language barrier. When told "cheese made from food waste," the impression of "eating garbage" inevitably comes first. However, rephrasing it as "plant-based protein fermented from okara," "sustainable cocoa utilizing cocoa shell aroma," or "microbial protein derived from molasses" significantly changes the impression. In fact, many foods we eat daily originally came from by-products of processing or preservation efforts. Whey, sake lees, rice bran, fish sauce, blue cheese mold—once ingrained in culture, they become "ingredients," not waste.

Skepticism on social media is not necessarily bad for the technology. Rather, it shows where explanations are needed. The difference between mold that accidentally grows at home and strains managed for food production. That waste refers to controlled by-products from food factories, not rotten leftovers. That the final products need to pass safety tests and regulations. Without these explanations, fermentation food tech remains "interesting but scary."

"Mottainai" Could Be the Next Industrial Keyword

This trend is not irrelevant to Japan. Japan has a fermentation culture with miso, soy sauce, sake, vinegar, natto, pickles, and koji. At the same time, there are many by-products such as okara, rice bran, sake lees, non-standard vegetables, and seafood processing residues. By not only preserving these as "traditional wisdom" but also combining them with modern food engineering, AI, and biotechnology, there is potential to create a new food material industry for the global market.

Notably, Mottainai Food Tech incorporates the Japanese word "mottainai" into its company name. This word encompasses not just thriftiness but also the sense of not wasting the effort, nature, time, and life behind things. The fermentation upcycling of food waste can be seen as an attempt to translate this sense into industrial technology.

However, excessive expectations should be avoided. Not all food waste can be solved by fermentation. Some by-products are suitable for fermentation, while others are not. Collection, storage, and hygiene management incur costs. If consumers do not accept it, the market will not expand. Whether the environmental impact is truly small requires evaluation, including the energy needed for fermentation, transportation, refrigeration, and packaging.

Still, the direction this technology indicates is significant. Future food waste management is moving from merely "enduring not to waste" to "transforming what was discarded into something desirable to eat." It's not about eating because it's good for the environment, but because it's delicious. As a result, waste is reduced. If this can be achieved, sustainable food will become a food culture, not an obligation.

A Future That Can Be Grated Over Pasta

The cheese-like product born in Stanford's lab is still partly unpublished, and the details of the waste used have not been disclosed. There are many challenges to commercialization, including safety, regulation, production costs, and taste reproducibility.

Nevertheless, the description of "gratable," "salty," and "suitable for pasta" is compelling. Whether food tech succeeds ultimately depends not on technical jargon but on the image at the dining table. People don't want to eat "bioconversion by cellulose decomposition." They want to eat "something that looks delicious on today's pasta."

Fermentation, while a technology closely associated with spoilage, has enriched human food culture. Now, this ancient technology, equipped with AI and biotechnology, is facing the modern challenge of food waste. Cocoa shells become cocoa-flavored materials, pea residues become protein, molasses becomes pet food, okara becomes alternative meat, and yet-to-be-revealed waste becomes cheese-like food.

The future of food may not be born from entirely new ingredients. The next umami may be hidden among the "leftovers" we have overlooked.

Source URL

Refer to BBC: Stanford University's cheese-like food derived from food waste, Fermtech, MOA Foodtech, MicroHarvest, Mottainai Food Tech, and other cases.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78kmj2kyklo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Nature Microbiology published paper: Research showing the potential of Neurospora intermedia in traditional fermented food oncom and its ability to make food by-products edible.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01799-3

EatingWell explanatory article: Refer to explanations on making food waste edible using Neurospora, fermentation in about 36 hours, toxin and taste evaluation, and safety.
https://www.eatingwell.com/scientists-say-this-fungus-makes-food-waste-edible-8707612

MOA Foodtech official site: Refer to business content that selects suitable microorganisms for agri-food by-products using AI and transforms them into high-value materials through fermentation.
https://www.moafoodtech.com/

MicroHarvest official site: Refer to the company's technology explanation of producing protein in 24 hours through natural fermentation.
https://microharvest.com/

Mottainai Food Tech information: Refer to the business of transforming okara into Jiro Meat through solid-state fermentation and the overview as a Singaporean company.
https://www.sgfoodmakers.sg/mottainai/

Mottainai Food Tech official site: Refer to explanations of the solid-state fermentation platform, food material development, and joint development projects.
https://mtnfoodtech.com/

Reddit r/fermentation post: An example showing reactions in the fermentation community evaluating it as "traditional Indonesian fermentation" and interest in starters for upcycling food waste using Neurospora.
https://www.reddit.com/r/fermentation/comments/1hxo651/neurospora_intermedia_a_fastgrowing_fungus_is/

Reddit food and fermentation-related post: A reference example showing psychological resistance and joking reactions to "fermentation," "spoilage," and "moldy food" among the general public.
https://www.reddit.com/r/EatItYouFuckinCoward/comments/1j2pnh7/is_this_cheese/

Grist article: Supplementary reference to the background explanation of oncom, Neurospora, and research turning food waste into cuisine.
https://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/oncom-fermented-fungus-food-waste