About this episode

Gerit Tolborg discusses the potential of filamentous fungi as a natural alternative to synthetic food dyes.

Gerit Tolborg, CEO and co-founder of Chromologics, joins Karl and Erum to explore how filamentous fungi can replace synthetic and plant-extracted food dyes with a fermentation-derived red pigment called Tellurin. Gerit shares how a PhD discovery in Denmark led to a venture-backed startup producing a tasteless, odorless, and highly vibrant natural color that performs across processed food categories, from cured meats to bakery to dairy. The conversation covers the real economics of bio-based colorants (including the critical concept of cost-in-use versus kilo price), the challenges of scaling downstream processing from a two-liter reactor to industrial CMOs, and how regulatory pathways at the FDA and EU's FSA are evolving to accommodate fermentation-derived ingredients. Gerit also makes a compelling case for fermentation as a tool for decentralizing and de-risking global supply chains, freeing agricultural land from color crop production and building resilience against climate and geopolitical disruption. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing…

People in this episode

Hosts: Karl Schmieder, Erum Azeez Khan

Guest: Gerit Tolborg

Topics covered

• fermentation
• natural colorants
• bioeconomy
• food industry
• supply chains

Keywords

• fermentation
• food dyes
• Tellurin
• bio-based colorants
• supply chain resilience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chromologics

More episodes of Grow Everything Biotech Podcast

• 184. The Multiverse of Microbes: Henry Lee on Building Cultivarium and Training with Titans · June 5, 2026 · 1h 14m
• 183. The American Biotech Blueprint: Senator Todd Young on Biodiversity as National Security · May 29, 2026 · 42 min
• 182. SynBioBeta 2026 Recap, It's Biologist Approved · May 22, 2026 · 54 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Grow Everything Biotech Podcast podcast page.