The Russian market of starters is under threat due to a reduction in supplies from cross-border suppliers.

— What is the current situation in the Russian starter culture market? What types of starter cultures are used by enterprises? Have there been any changes in logistics and procurement of starter cultures due to foreign suppliers?

— Russian enterprises usually use direct addition starter cultures - these are dry and frozen cultures that are added directly to milk or cream for the production of dairy products. In Russia, over 12 million tons of milk are fermented annually.

Almost 90% of starter cultures in the Russian market are produced or imported from unfriendly countries. Currently, Russia purchases starter cultures from France, Denmark, and Italy. Since 2022, there have been no drastic changes in the import structure; deliveries continue, but the cost and delivery time of starter cultures have significantly increased. In the future, a decrease in supply volumes can be expected. For example, one of the largest starter culture suppliers plans to end cooperation with Russia by 2025, which could take away 40% of the annual starter culture volume in the market. Domestic manufacturers currently cover only about 10% of the annual starter culture volume.

— What challenges is Russia facing in its efforts to replace imported starter cultures? Is there any experience to draw on?

— Imported starter cultures are products of high technology developed over decades in the scientific and technological departments of large foreign companies or universities they collaborate with. One of the leading suppliers from Denmark has a collection of approximately 50 thousand strains of lactic acid bacteria, which far exceeds the collections of Russian organizations.

Developing starter cultures requires studying the reaction of live bacteria to various viruses, so every company involved in starter culture production has an extensive collection of viruses and bacteriophages to test the quality and stability of the starter culture.

Key tasks include developing technologies for creating microorganisms with valuable production properties and organizing their industrial production. In Russia, there is a scientific foundation created back in the Soviet era, with the main developers being the Uglich Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Research Center of Food Systems named after V.M. Gorbachev" and the Moscow Research Institute of Dairy Industry. These organizations have specialized collections of starter microorganisms and organize starter culture production.

— What steps are being taken to develop domestic starter culture production and related technologies?

— In Russia, starter cultures are produced at the "Experimental Biofactory," part of the structure of the VNIIMM, in collaboration with LLC "Green Lines." Experienced scientists and microbiologists work in these organizations. Currently, manufacturers are upgrading and expanding production capacities to increase starter culture production volumes. However, domestic production currently cannot compete with imports in terms of production volumes.

Developing starter cultures with valuable production properties requires the use of biotechnologies, genetic technologies, and bioinformatic analysis. In Russia, there are scientific teams with the necessary competencies and modern scientific equipment involved in this work.

LLC "Uglich Biofactory" has been conducting scientific research for several years. Since 2024, we have actively sought partners among scientific organizations and universities to address our tasks. We have increased research funding and rely on receiving support and cooperation from scientific teams that can help us develop technologies and ensure the high quality of starter cultures.

Each starter culture is a small biofactory that turns milk into dairy products. We are working on managing these processes and need more suitable microorganisms and technologies. We are also developing our own starter cultures and creating our own bio-bank of lactic acid bacteria. Technologies for production are being developed, and fundamental research is being conducted in the field of biotechnologies at our scientific and technological center. We are attracting qualified personnel and forming scientific teams to address scientific tasks.

— What stage is the construction of the Uglich Biofactory at and when is its commissioning expected?

— The Uglich Biofactory is being built based on the Uglich Dairy Plant and will be a high-tech enterprise for producing starter cultures for the food industry. Investments in the project will exceed 4 billion rubles. It is expected that the biofactory will be ready for operation by the end of 2025.

— Do you have any plans in the scientific field?

— We are developing our own starter cultures and creating our own bio-bank of lactic acid bacteria. At the scientific and technological center of our biofactory, a pilot plant will be created to work out production technologies and conduct applied and fundamental research in biotechnologies. We will have a genetic laboratory and a bioinformatic analysis laboratory. We are attracting qualified specialists and forming a team of leaders in scientific research. We collaborate with a number of scientific organizations and universities to enhance scientific potential and develop laboratory infrastructure.

— What types of starter cultures will your factory produce and what production volumes do you plan?

— We plan to produce starter cultures for cheeses and whole milk products. At the initial stage, the biofactory's capacity will allow for the production of about 32-35 tons of frozen starter cultures per year. Considering the specific activity of the starter cultures, we will be able to cover about 25% of the market demand. With increased demand, we are prepared to expand production capacities and cover up to 50% of the Russian starter culture market demand.

— How do you collaborate with VNIIMM?

— Uglich Biofactory has a mutually beneficial partnership with VNIIMM. VNIIMM possesses unique technologies and scientific potential in the production of starter cultures, and we collaborate on all issues related to technology development, replenishing the bio-bank, and enhancing the qualifications of our employees. Additionally, we support VNIIMM in developing scientific infrastructure and provide laboratory equipment to describe their collection of lactic acid bacteria. We see VNIIMM as an important partner and a potential source of new technologies and scientific developments.

— How important is the emergence of a new biofactory for the domestic food industry?

— The Uglich Biofactory is one of the platforms for the development of domestic biotechnologies. It will strengthen the country's security and ensure food security. We are creating a unique production facility that is on par with global counterparts. Our team aims to replace imported starter cultures and develop domestic technologies in this field. The Russian dairy industry will have access to high-quality starter cultures and will be able to strengthen its position in the market. The biofactory will be a strong driver for the development of domestic starter culture production and biotechnologies in general.