Press · Company facts
Press and
company facts.
Fooditive B.V. is a food-biotechnology company in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, founded in 2018. It licenses its fermentation technology to food and dairy manufacturers, who produce the ingredients in their own plants or at a nearby CDMO managed by Fooditive. Its flagship technologies are Fooditive Sweetener® Keto-Fructose (5-keto-D-fructose, 5-KDF) and non-animal casein.
Company facts
Fooditive at a glance.
Please quote the regulatory wording exactly as it stands here.
- Legal name
- Fooditive B.V., incorporated in the Netherlands
- Founded
- 2018, in Rotterdam
- Headquarters
- Van Vollenhovenstraat 1C, 3016 BE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Founder and CEO
- Moayad Abushokhedim, food scientist
- Advisory board
- 11 members, chaired by Rob Lussenburg
- What we do
- We license our technology to food and dairy manufacturers, who produce the ingredients close to their markets, in their own plants or at a nearby CDMO managed by Fooditive.
- Technology platform
- The Fooditive Engine™: precision fermentation, enzymatic bioconversion and upcycling of food side-streams.
- Technologies and how they are made
-
- Fooditive Sweetener® Keto-Fructose (5-keto-D-fructose, 5-KDF): fermentation of a fructose substrate with a proprietary, non-GMO strain of Gluconobacter oxydans, then purification. About 70% of the sweetness of sucrose; 1.5 kcal/g, about 60% fewer calories than sugar.
- Non-animal casein: precision fermentation with precision-engineered E. coli strains. No animal inputs.
- Bee-free honey: honey made without bees, by precision fermentation.
- FAOX-C enzyme: an enzyme for biocatalysis in sugar reduction.
- Next-generation ingredients: emulsifier, preservative, fat replacer, thickener and low-salt solutions.
- Stage
-
- 5-KDF: Licensing now
- Non-animal casein: Licensing now
- Bee-free honey: Project-based
- FAOX-C enzyme: Project-based
- Next-generation ingredients: Project-based
- U.S. regulatory status
-
- 5-KDF: Self-affirmed GRAS (2024, independent expert panel). GRAS notice GRN 1326 submitted to FDA on 29 January 2026.
- 5-KDF, labelling: Not classified as Added Sugars under most regulatory definitions; final labelling is subject to jurisdiction-specific guidance.
- Non-animal casein: GRAS notices submitted to FDA in February 2026.
- Bee-free honey: developed in partner projects.
- EU regulatory status
- 5-KDF: Novel Food authorisation is required. Our submission is paused while we focus on the U.S.
- United States
- Fooditive is coming to the U.S. as a full company. We license our sweetener, non-animal casein and fermentation technologies to U.S. food and dairy manufacturers, who produce in their own plants or at a nearby CDMO managed by Fooditive. Fooditive B.V. is incorporated in the Netherlands; Fooditive United, our U.S. company, is in formation, with headquarters planned in Rochester, New York. Fooditive United
- Recognition
- Grow-NY 2026 finalist: one of 20 finalists from 330 applicants in 49 countries, and the only European finalist. Finalists pitch for $3 million in investment, including a $1 million grand prize, at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit, 12–13 November 2026, Rochester, NY. Read the announcement
- Published safety studies
- Five open-access studies on 5-KDF, including OECD-aligned genotoxicity tests and human cell models. Safety and public studies
- Press contact
- pr@fooditivegroup.com
- General enquiries
- info@fooditivegroup.com
- Website
- www.fooditivegroup.com
Boilerplate
About Fooditive, ready to paste.
About Fooditive (71 words)
Fooditive B.V. is a food-biotechnology company founded in 2018 and based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It develops fermentation and bioconversion technologies and licenses them to food and dairy manufacturers, who produce the ingredients in their own plants or at a nearby CDMO managed by Fooditive. Its portfolio includes Fooditive Sweetener® Keto-Fructose (5-keto-D-fructose, 5-KDF), a rare sugar with about 60% fewer calories than sugar, and non-animal casein made by precision fermentation. Fooditive is a Grow-NY 2026 finalist. More at www.fooditivegroup.com.
Short version (25 words)
Fooditive (Rotterdam, founded 2018) licenses fermentation technology to food and dairy manufacturers: Fooditive Sweetener® Keto-Fructose (5-keto-D-fructose, 5-KDF) and non-animal casein, produced in their own plants or at a nearby CDMO managed by Fooditive.
Press releases
Our press releases, newest first.
- Fooditive named a finalist in $3 million Grow-NY business competition
- Fooditive completes sweetener development milestone with public safety data
- Fooditive Engine: revolutionizing sustainable food innovation through precision fermentation
- Redefining dairy: Fooditive seeks partners to bring vegan casein revolution to Europe
- Sparkalis invests in Fooditive, the ground-breaking creator of vegan casein and bee-free honey
- A giant leap for Fooditive as it becomes food industry's representative in space
- “World first” bee-free honey moves a step closer
All news, including archived posts: fooditivegroup.com/blog
Media kit
Logos, photos and the fact sheet.
Free to use in coverage of Fooditive, credited “Fooditive B.V.”. The product photos show ingredients only; none of them shows a Fooditive facility or laboratory.
-
Fact sheet (one page, A4)
The company facts on this page, ready to print or attach.
-
Logo, full colour
Vector file for print and web.
-
Logo on white
For documents and slides.
-
Logo, white on Fooditive blue
For dark backgrounds.
-
Moayad Abushokhedim, founder and CEO
Portrait beside the Fooditive logo.
-
Sweetener samples on wooden spoons
Photo from Fooditive’s 2024 sweetener announcement.
-
Sweetener in a glass bowl
Product photo used on our sweetener page.
-
Non-animal casein powder
Product photo used on our Engine and applications pages.
-
Bee-free honey in a glass jar
Product photo used on our product pages.
Questions
Quick answers for journalists.
What does Fooditive do?
Fooditive develops fermentation and bioconversion technologies for food ingredients and licenses them to food and dairy manufacturers. The manufacturers produce the ingredients in their own plants, or Fooditive manages production at a nearby CDMO.
Where is Fooditive based?
Fooditive B.V. is based at Van Vollenhovenstraat 1C, 3016 BE Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It was founded in Rotterdam in 2018. Fooditive B.V. is incorporated in the Netherlands.
What is 5-KDF?
Fooditive Sweetener® Keto-Fructose (5-keto-D-fructose, 5-KDF) is a rare keto-sugar that occurs in nature. It has about 70% of the sweetness of sucrose and 1.5 kcal/g, about 60% fewer calories than sugar.
How is 5-KDF made?
5-KDF is made by fermentation of a fructose substrate with a proprietary, non-GMO strain of Gluconobacter oxydans, then purification. Purity is at least 98.5%.
What is the U.S. regulatory status of 5-KDF?
Self-affirmed GRAS (2024, independent expert panel). GRAS notice GRN 1326 submitted to FDA on 29 January 2026.
What is non-animal casein and how is it made?
It is casein, the protein behind cheese, made without animals. It is produced by precision fermentation with precision-engineered E. coli strains. GRAS notices submitted to FDA in February 2026.
Does Fooditive sell ingredients or license technology?
Fooditive licenses technology. Licensees produce the ingredients close to their markets, in their own plants or at a nearby CDMO managed by Fooditive.
How can journalists reach Fooditive?
Email the press office at pr@fooditivegroup.com. For other questions, write to info@fooditivegroup.com.
Press contact
Writing about Fooditive?
Email pr@fooditivegroup.com for interviews, images and fact checks. We reply within two working days.