Verley secures first US patent for dairy protein microparticulation technology

Verley has secured its first US patent, covering technology for microparticulating recombinant beta-lactoglobulin, or BLG, as the French precision fermentation company prepares to launch its FermWhey dairy protein portfolio in the USA.

• Verley received its first US patent on October 13, covering microparticulation of recombinant beta-lactoglobulin for food applications.
• The company said the technology supported improved texture, mouthfeel and formulation flexibility in high-protein products.
• Verley linked the patent grant to preparations for the commercial launch of its FermWhey portfolio in the United States.

The company announced the grant on October 27, describing it as protection for one of its core innovations. The technology transforms BLG into microparticles with tailored physical properties, allowing Verley to influence how the protein behaves during processing and in finished foods.

US Patent No. 12,757,909, titled 'Microparticulation of recombinant beta-lactoglobulin and associated food applications', was issued on October 13. The application was filed under Verley’s former name, Bon Vivant, in October 2024, claiming priority from a European application filed in October 2023. The inventors named are Arnaud Mimouni, Kelly Mulder, Hélène Briand and Lena Piola.

In comments previously provided to Protein Production Technology International, Briand, Verley’s Co-Founder & Chief Innovation & Commercial Officer, explained how controlling protein aggregation supports the company’s ingredient development.

“With MicroFactor, we control protein aggregation to create particles that remain highly stable under demanding processing conditions while maintaining low viscosity and contributing to creaminess,” she said. “This enables high-protein formulations that remain stable through UHT or pasteurization, including at up to 12% protein with calcium enrichment.”

The formulation challenge is particularly relevant when manufacturers raise protein concentrations. An ingredient must remain compatible with the product’s heat treatment, acidity and other components while delivering an acceptable consistency and eating experience.

Verley said the patented innovation would support improved texture and mouthfeel, including creaminess and smoothness, alongside greater flexibility to develop products with different consistencies and sensory profiles.

Briand described the starting material as an important part of that approach. Conventional whey is obtained through cheesemaking or milk fractionation and contains a mixture of proteins. Precision fermentation allows Verley to produce BLG directly before applying technologies designed to modify its functional behavior.

“The same starting protein can therefore become very different ingredients depending on the functionality the application requires,” she said.

The patent’s first claim describes a process combining an aqueous solution of recombinant BLG with heating and high-shear treatment. It specifies protein aggregates averaging 0.1-15 micrometers, with particle-size stability assessed after heating at 90°C for 10 minutes. Those defined processing conditions and particle characteristics provide the technical basis for the granted claim.

Within FermWhey, Verley markets ingredients intended to address different formulation requirements. Briand identified MicroStab as its option for manufacturers seeking high protein content alongside low viscosity and processing stability.

“MicroStab addresses a different challenge. It enables up to 12% protein while maintaining low viscosity and processing stability, including UHT treatment with calcium enrichment,” she said. “This creates new possibilities for high-protein dairy beverages, RTDs, yogurts and specialized nutrition products.”

She added: “So the objective is not simply to put more protein into a product. It is to increase protein density while preserving the characteristics that make the product manufacturable and enjoyable to consume.”

The company’s commercial preparations also include application development with prospective customers. Briand said Verley’s Application Center worked with manufacturers to formulate, test and optimize products, rather than supplying an ingredient specification alone.

Applications developed independently and with partners have included concentrated protein shots, ready-to-drink beverages, yogurts, cream cheese and protein bars, according to Briand.

“What we have learned through conversations with manufacturers, application development and scale-up is that replication alone is not enough,” she said. “Customers are not looking for a different way to source the same ingredient. They are looking for proteins that solve problems they cannot solve today.”

In its patent announcement, Verley said securing US protection was another step in protecting the technologies behind FermWhey ahead of its planned commercial launch. It did not give a launch date.

Briand also identified consistent manufacturing performance as a requirement for supplying customers.

“You can have excellent biology and still not have a commercially viable process,” she said. “You need the organism to perform consistently at scale, the fermentation process to be robust, downstream recovery to be efficient, manufacturing capacity to be available, and the economics to work. And then you need to reproduce that performance campaign after campaign.”

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