Fermenta Biotech Bets Big on Vitamin B12 as VIT Vellore Tech Targets Everyday Foods

Fermenta Biotech is making a major push into next-generation food fortification after signing an exclusive license agreement with Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, to commercialize technology that naturally increases Vitamin B12 levels during the fermentation of everyday foods.

The Mumbai-headquartered company said the technology could eventually be applied to widely consumed fermented foods including curd, idli and dosa batter, appam, breads and other traditional foods.

The deal brings academic research and industrial food-fortification expertise together as Vitamin B12 deficiency remains a significant nutritional challenge, particularly for people whose diets contain few natural sources of the vitamin.

Vitamin B12 Could Be Added During Fermentation

Unlike conventional fortification, where vitamins are added to food after production, the VIT Vellore technology is designed to enhance Vitamin B12 during the natural fermentation process itself.

Developed by Dr Krishnan Venkataraman and his team at VIT’s Center for BioSeparation Technology, the technology uses selected nutrients and cofactors during fermentation to promote Vitamin B12 formation within the food matrix.

The technology is covered by Indian Patent Application No. 202441015300.

According to Fermenta Biotech, laboratory studies showed approximately 80% retention of enhanced Vitamin B12 levels after cooking.

That finding could be particularly important for foods such as idli, dosa, and breads, where fermentation is followed by cooking.

Why This Could Change Food Fortification

Vitamin B12 deficiency is especially relevant among vegetarian and vegan populations because naturally occurring B12 is concentrated in animal-derived foods.

The company believes adding vitamin B12 into foods people already eat could offer a more accessible way to improve dietary intake than relying exclusively on supplements.

The opportunity also comes as demand grows for fortified foods amid increasing interest in vegetarian diets, aging populations and preventive nutrition.

But the technology is not yet commercial.

Fermenta said the next stage will involve application development, nutritional validation, determining final Vitamin B12 concentrations, regulatory evaluation and developing commercially viable food applications.

Fermenta Wants to Take the Technology to Scale

For Fermenta Biotech, the agreement with VIT Vellore expands its existing nutritional-premix business into a potentially different model of food fortification.

Prashant Nagre, Managing Director of Fermenta Biotech, said the partnership combines VIT’s scientific capabilities with Fermenta’s industrial expertise and could move emerging nutrition research toward scalable applications.

The company said it intends to explore developing accessible premixes and fortified food solutions once the technology progresses through validation and regulatory requirements.

The potential commercial applications span FMCG, food and nutrition, nutraceuticals and broader health-related markets.

VIT Looks Beyond the Laboratory

For VIT Vellore, the agreement aims to move university-developed research into real-world applications.

VIT Chancellor G. Viswanathan said the partnership reflects the university’s focus on translating academic research into solutions for healthcare and nutritional challenges.

The collaboration could ultimately give an Indian-developed food technology a route toward wider commercial deployment if subsequent testing and regulatory assessment support its claims.

The Bigger Battle Is Against Micronutrient Deficiency

The Fermenta-VIT agreement arrives as food companies increasingly look beyond traditional vitamin tablets and premixes toward technologies that can integrate nutrition directly into familiar foods.

The potential appeal is obvious: instead of asking consumers to change their habits, fortification technology can attempt to work within foods already embedded in everyday diets.

Whether the VIT process can achieve that at commercial scale remains to be established.

For now, Fermenta has secured exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the technology, and the next challenge is turning an intriguing laboratory result into a safe, validated, and commercially viable Vitamin B12 solution for everyday food.