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Every project supported by Gebert Rüf Stiftung is made accessible with a web presentation that informs about the core data of the project. With this public presentation, the foundation publishes the funding results achieved and contributes to the communication of science to society.

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Yumame Foods – Innovative plant-based food based on fungi and fermentation.

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The project management is responsible for the content of the information provided.

Project data

  • Project no: GRS-080/23 
  • Amount of funding: CHF 150'000 
  • Approved: 31.10.2023 
  • Duration: 01.2024 - 01.2025 
  • Area of activity:  InnoBooster, seit 2018

Project management

Project description

Yumame Foods creates delicious, nutritious and local products through the innovative application of fungi, plant-based ingredients and fermentation through the application of culinary science. Our minimally-processed, local products offer a sustainable alternative to existing plant-based meat substitutes, which often involve complex processing and long international supply chains. In collaboration with our culinary chefs and scientists at the EHL Hospitality Business School, our aim is to enhance and extend our product portfolio, enable process scale-up and to validate the product/market fit with consumers.

Status/Results

The target of the project was to optimize Yumame Foods’ product recipes and production method so that the products can be produced at first-level industrial scale at high sensory and nutritional properties, long shelf life and market-viable costs.
The planned project steps were to:
1. Optimize process parameters and assess product quality, nutritional value, and shelf-life stability
2. Extend product recipe portfolio by ingredient preference, seasonality and ethnicity
3. Validate consumer preference in real-life conditions
4. Demonstrate broad culinary applicability
This project between Yumame Foods and the Institute of Nutrition R&D at EHL has demonstrated the effectiveness of interdisciplinary teamwork, with culinary chefs, food scientists, and business experts working together to accelerate market-ready products with high probability of market acceptance and positive impact on nutrition and , effective use of resources.
Building on these promising results, Yumame Foods has launched its first product in the food service sector, in collaboration with a distribution partner targeting caterers and restaurants. Additional products with new flavors will follow in the future.

Links

Persons involved in the project

Dr. Eliana Zamprogna Rosenfeld, CEO and founder, Yumame Foods AG; co-project lead
Patrick Ogheard, Dean of School of Practical Arts, EHL Hospitality Business School; co-project lead
Adrien Demongeot, Scientist, EHL Hospitality Business School.
Antonin Soussan, Project Manager, EHL Hospitality Business School
Catherin Lingner, Engineer, EHL Hospitality Business School
Cyrille Lecossois, Chef, EHL Hospitality Business School
Michel Magada, Chef, EHL Hospitality Business School
Cédric Bourassin, Chef, EHL Hospitality Business School

Last update to this project presentation  21.07.2025