NEW TECH FOODS

Tetra Pak Processing Equipment has acquired Bioreactors.net, a Latvia-based company with nearly 30 years of experience in designing and manufacturing bioreactor systems.

Founded in 1996, Bioreactors.net specialises in biomass and precision fermentation solutions for the New Food sector, with systems capable of producing a variety of proteins and other products.

The company works with customers ranging from laboratory and pilot facilities to full-scale commercial production. Around 15 employees will join Tetra Pak as part of the deal.

Tetra Pak said the acquisition strengthens its processing expertise and expands its bioreactor equipment and design portfolio within the New Food category. The move will enable the company to offer more advanced production systems for foods and ingredients derived from precision and biomass fermentation.

Rafael Barros, director of the New Food Business Stream at Tetra Pak, said: “The addition of Bioreactors.net complements our existing upstream and downstream processing portfolio with fermentation capabilities. Together, we will deploy their full portfolio of bioreactor solutions under the Tetra Pak brand – offering advanced food production systems."

"This acquisition will enable us to accelerate the development of next-generation bioreactors, empowering both emerging innovators and established producers to scale sustainably."

Janis Misins-Jubels, head of manufacturing at Bioreactors.net, added: “Joining Tetra Pak is a major milestone for us. Our decades of expertise in bioreactors, paired with Tetra Pak’s existing portfolio, global reach and resources, will accelerate the delivery of world-class fermentation solutions to customers around the globe.”

The companies noted that biotechnology is expected to play an important role in meeting the food needs of a growing global population, with fermentation and bioprocessing technologies projected to be key innovations in building more circular and resilient food systems.

The acquisition builds on Tetra Pak’s wider investments in the New Food category, including the launch of the Tetra Pak New Food Technology Development Centre in Karlshamn, Sweden, earlier this year, and Biotech Heights, an innovation hub established in Lund, Sweden, in 2023 in collaboration with Lund University.