Climax Foods, now operating as Bettani Farms, has been nominated for the 2026 World AI Awards in the Culinary Creativity and Concepting category, recognising its use of artificial intelligence and data science to rethink how plant-based foods can be formulated.
The Berkeley food technology company has focused much of its research on a stubborn culinary problem: cheese. Reproducing the melt, stretch, texture and protein content of dairy cheese with plants has proved difficult, particularly without relying heavily on starches, oils or common allergens.
Climax Foods approached the problem differently. Instead of asking AI to generate recipes on a screen, its scientists built systems that examine plant proteins and predict combinations capable of producing specific functional properties in real food.
That work produced Caseed, a plant-derived protein ingredient designed to mimic some of the functions normally provided by dairy casein.
AI searches a culinary possibility space too large for humans
Cheesemaking involves an enormous number of possible combinations. Change the protein source, concentration, processing conditions or cultures and the finished product can behave very differently.
Climax Foods developed what it called precision formulation, combining data science, machine learning and food science to narrow that search.
The company first collected information about formulations created by its cheesemakers and measured the resulting products. Each experiment supplied another data point. Its models could then examine potential plant ingredients and predict how previously untested combinations might behave.
This is where AI becomes particularly relevant to culinary concepting. The system does not replace the cheesemaker. It reduces an otherwise unwieldy experimental space, helping researchers decide which formulations are worth making and testing.
Caseed tackles the melt-and-stretch problem
The most prominent result of that process is Caseed.
Casein is central to the structure of conventional cheese and plays an important role in characteristics such as melt, stretch and mouthfeel. Climax Foods used its computational approach to investigate naturally occurring proteins from seeds and legumes that could reproduce some of those functions without using animal-derived casein.
Unlike companies producing dairy proteins through precision fermentation, Climax Foods said its approach does not depend on genetically engineering microorganisms to manufacture casein. Instead, it works with existing plant proteins and uses formulation and processing to unlock useful functionality.
The technology has since moved under the Bettani Farms identity. Bettani says Caseed is naturally derived from seeds of regenerative crops and is used in dairy-free cheeses designed to deliver 80% to 100% of the protein found in dairy cheese, depending on the product.
From algorithms to mozzarella
The real test is what happens in the kitchen.
Bettani is now concentrating on products including mozzarella-style and Greek-style feta cheeses, while Caseed provides a platform for developing other dairy-free formats.
Mozzarella is an especially demanding target. Pizza cheese needs to melt evenly, stretch when pulled and retain the texture consumers expect after heating. Many plant-based alternatives struggle to deliver all three while also providing meaningful protein.
In 2026, Bettani demonstrated a high-melt, high-stretch mozzarella-style product as it pursued foodservice opportunities, including pizzerias and other commercial kitchens. The company is also exploring formats such as cheese sauces, feta, goat-style cheese, cream cheese and sour cream.
That commercial work matters to the nomination. Climax Foods’ technology is not simply using AI to suggest unusual flavour combinations. It applies machine learning to the underlying chemistry and functionality of ingredients, then turns those predictions into foods that can be cooked, melted and eaten.
Culinary creativity becomes a data problem
Climax Foods demonstrates a less obvious role for artificial intelligence in food.
Rather than generating a recipe after being prompted, AI can help food scientists understand ingredients themselves. It can search combinations, learn from physical experiments and identify formulations that a conventional trial-and-error process might take much longer to uncover.
That creates an interesting bridge between computation and traditional culinary expertise. Algorithms narrow the possibilities. Food scientists and cheesemakers still have to formulate, culture, taste and refine the result.
Graham Cooke, President of the World AI Awards, said:
“Climax Foods’ nomination highlights a fascinating application of artificial intelligence in culinary creativity. Food development involves an extraordinary number of possible ingredients, formulations and processes, and AI offers researchers new ways to explore that complexity.
“The work behind Caseed shows how machine learning can move beyond digital recommendations and contribute directly to the development of physical foods, while leaving taste, texture and culinary judgement firmly part of the process. We congratulate the Climax Foods and Bettani Farms team on its 2026 World AI Awards nomination and look forward to following how this technology develops.”
Climax Foods joins organisations, researchers, entrepreneurs and technology developers being recognised through the 2026 World AI Awards.
The programme recognises organisations, individuals and technologies contributing to the development and application of artificial intelligence across industries. The Culinary Creativity and Concepting category brings that discussion into food, where AI can increasingly support ingredient discovery, formulation and product development alongside the human skills that ultimately determine whether something works on the plate.
Climax Foods’ evolution into Bettani Farms also provides a useful measure of progress. What began as an AI-driven food research platform is now being directed toward commercial dairy-free products and foodservice applications. Caseed sits at the centre of that transition, connecting computational ingredient discovery with the practical demands of making cheese that melts, stretches and delivers protein.
Learn more about Climax Foods, now Bettani Farms, and its food technology at bettani.com.
Discover the World AI Awards 2026, explore the nominees and learn more about the awards at worldawards.ai.
