EFKO at Future Technologies Forum 2026
“Is this instead of cocoa?” – the President of Russia spotted an interesting product at the booth of the Ministry of Industry and Trade while walking through the Future Technologies Forum expo in Moscow.
“A biotechnological substitute for cocoa butter,” explained Anton Alikhanov, the Minister of Industry and Trade. “We can make it without growing cocoa beans. They don’t grow in Russia, and overall, there are only a few countries where they are cultivated. We can become independent in this sense. Production using specialized cells, without extraction facilities or elevators. At a specialized enzyme plant only.”
Biosynthesis is a central focus of the Bioeconomy national project. The cocoa butter showcased at the forum is EFKO’s second product based on precision fermentation. The first is the sweet-tasting protein brazzein certified in the Eurasian Economic Union about 18 months ago.
Vladislav Romantsev, EFKO Director for Strategic Development
«Oils derived from microorganisms entirely transform the technological paradigm of our industry. By feeding modified nutritional yeast with glucose, we induce the production of lipids that serve as a complete biochemical analog of vegetable oils. We started with cocoa butter, as it is the priciest vegetable fat. And nothing grows in Russia that can be used to produce it. As a result, we achieve import substitution and cutting-edge biotechnologies within a single project.»
«IF YOU’RE NOT WORKING ON BIOTECHNOLOGY, IT WILL BE WORKING AGAINST YOU»
The next day, attendees of the Menu-2042 session concurred that by 2042, nutrition will be tailored to individual microbiomes and lifestyles. At the same time, Vladislav Romantsev emphasized that biotech today is a survival strategy, and if you’re not working on biotechnology, it will be working against you.
EFKO representatives participated in Forum sessions focused on biotechnology ethics, genetics, industry regulations, and more. You can find all FTF materials on the event’s website..
