Fermenstation files patent to turn spent coffee grounds into flavor enhancer for plant-based meat

Fermenstation has filed a global patent application covering methods for turning spent coffee grounds and coffee beans into a flavor-enhancing seasoning ingredient that could improve richness in plant-based meat, dairy alternatives and other fat-containing foods.

Fermenstation’s patent application described methods for producing glutamyl-valyl-glycine from coffee beans or spent coffee grounds using enzymatic and fermentation processes.
The filing stated that glutamyl-valyl-glycine can improve richness in meat products, dairy products and fat-containing foods when used in small amounts. The process could offer a higher-value route for spent coffee grounds, which are often discarded or used in fertilizer, feed and biofuel applications.

The Japanese biotech company, based in Funabashi City, Chiba, specializes in upcycling unused resources into higher-value bio-based ingredients through fermentation. Its latest patent application, WO2026070371, focused on enzymatic reaction compositions and fermentation compositions made from coffee beans or spent coffee grounds, as well as their use in seasoning compositions.

Spent coffee grounds are produced in large volumes as a by-product of coffee beverage production and are commonly treated as organic waste. Other uses, including fertilizer, animal feed and biofuel, have been proposed, but the patent application described a route to convert coffee-derived residues into a food ingredient with higher-value flavor functionality.

According to the filing, the inventors found that treating coffee beans or spent coffee grounds under specific enzymatic reaction conditions generated glutamyl-valyl-glycine, also known as gamma-glutamyl-valyl-glycine or Glu-Val-Gly. They also found that carrying out fermentation after enzymatic treatment promoted further production of the compound.

Glutamyl-valyl-glycine is a tripeptide made from glutamic acid, valine and glycine. The application stated that it has been approved as a food additive by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Although the compound itself is tasteless, the filing noted that it can bind sugars and oils during heating, and that adding a small amount can improve kokumi, or richness, in meat-containing products, dairy products and foods containing fats.

That functionality could make the ingredient relevant to plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, where formulators often seek to build deeper, more rounded savory notes without relying on animal-derived materials.

The application noted that glutamyl-valyl-glycine is found in animal-derived materials such as scallops and fish sauce. Producing it from plant-based coffee beans or spent coffee grounds, particularly coffee processing residues, was described in the filing as meaningful from a resource-use perspective.

Fermenstation said on its website, “We upcycle unused resources using our proprietary fermentation technology to produce and supply unique, sustainable bio-based ingredients.”

The company added that its ingredients were “designed to improve the taste profile of plant-based products,” while also offering potential benefits beyond flavor in areas such as health and beauty.

The patent described a process in which coffee beans or spent coffee grounds were reacted with proteolytic enzymes. In preferred versions, plant fiber-degrading enzymes such as cellulases were also used to increase the amount of glutamyl-valyl-glycine generated.

For the fermentation route, coffee beans or spent coffee grounds were first treated with plant fiber-degrading and protein-degrading enzymes. The resulting enzymatic composition was then used as a fermentation medium with microorganisms such as yeasts, lactic acid bacteria or koji molds.

In one example, spent coffee grounds with around 70% moisture content were treated with cellulase and protease preparations at 45C for 24 hours. Analysis found no glutamyl-valyl-glycine in the pre-reaction sample, but detected the compound after enzymatic treatment.

The filing also compared spent coffee grounds with other agricultural and food processing residues, including wheat residue, wheat bran, okara, carrot trimming residue, grape juice residue, onion residue, green tea residue, bonito extract residue and kelp extract residue. According to the application, those other enzymatic and fermented compositions did not contain glutamyl-valyl-glycine.

The resulting coffee-derived compositions were proposed for use as seasonings or seasoning raw materials in foods where added richness is desired, including beverages, soups, processed meat products, seafood products, dairy products, confectionery, rice dishes, sauces, dressings, bakery products, noodles and frozen foods.

Fermenstation’s patent application points to a possible new use for spent coffee grounds in food formulation, turning a high-volume by-product into a flavor-enhancing ingredient for plant-based and conventional products.