Recently, Yili Innovation Center Europe (YICE) announced a strategic partnership with Xampla, a biotechnology company spun off from the University of Cambridge. The collaboration aims to test and validate Xampla's micro natural polymer capsule technology in dairy products to maximize flavor, nutritional content, and activity, offering global consumers healthier dairy product options.
R&D Team of YICE
Xampla's microcapsule technology, utilizing a world-first natural plant material, encapsulates solids, liquids, or gases with micron-scale polymer materials. This process isolates the encapsulated substances from external environments, effectively protecting them from UV, pH, and temperature variations during production, storage, transportation, and consumption. This technology not only ensures maximum retention of product ingredients but also enhances taste and quality, providing consumers with a more enjoyable tasting experience.
Founded in October 2018 and incubated by the University of Cambridge, Xampla's core technology originates from Professor Tuomas Knowles' team at the Cavendish Laboratory, which boasts over 15 years of protein and biopolymer research. By studying the protein properties of various plants, Xampla has successfully transformed plant proteins into edible films, microcapsules, and coatings, which are safe, natural, and biodegradable.
A Researcher of Xampla
Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, said: “Having the support of this leading global dairy brand has further strengthened our position as leaders in food and beverage fortification technology. We look forward to seeing our groundbreaking, world-first microencapsulation technology make its way from the laboratory to a market of health and environment-conscious consumers.”
Gerrit Smit, Managing Director of YICE, said: “We are excited to start this pilot collaboration with Xampla. Yili always strives to bring next-generation products with enhanced nutrition and health to consumers.”
Founded in 2014 and located at Wageningen University, YICE is a vital part of Yili's global innovation network. The center has achieved significant results in areas such as breast milk research, probiotic development, food safety, and AI-assisted product development. It has established partnerships with Wageningen University, the University of Cambridge, the International Life Sciences Institute, and other European universities, research institutions, and partners. Currently, Yili has established 15 global innovation centers in Europe, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Japan, etc.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of YICE. At the ten-year achievement release ceremony, the center announced its future research focuses, including disruptive technology research, functional ingredient development, and the development of food for special medical purposes. This collaboration with Xampla is another significant move by Yili to accelerate global dairy technology breakthroughs and promote disruptive technology research.