Fou Food Lab

Fou Food Lab is a one-woman food technology and product development company run by Ivana Mik. It helps startups, restaurants, and larger food businesses turn ideas into scalable products, with a strong focus on fermentation, food science, and culinary quality. The company works from concept through pilot scale and supports both fermented and non-fermented product development. Its positioning combines hard-core food science with hands-on kitchen experience, aiming to create products that are not only technically feasible, but also delicious and practical to produce. Core Values Deliciousness first : Recipes are developed to be technically sound and scalable, but always with taste as a central requirement. Scientific rigor : The company draws on formal training in food biotechnology and biorefinery, and applies food science methods to product development and process design. Practical scalability : Fou Food Lab focuses on solutions that can move from idea to pilot scale and into real production settings. Collaboration and knowledge transfer : Training and co-development are central, helping clients and their teams build lasting in-house capability. Creativity in fermentation : The company treats fermentation as both a technical discipline and a creative tool for flavor, texture, and product innovation. Unique Aspects Fermentation-led specialization : Fou Food Lab has a clear specialty in fermented products, but applies that expertise across drinks, dairy-style alternatives, sauces, condiments, and other applications. Blend of lab and culinary experience : Ivana Mik combines academic training in food biotechnology with practical experience from the Noma fermentation lab and work with both startups and multinationals. Broad project range : The company has worked on projects ranging from grass protein and cocoa juice to coffee, algae pigments, chicken waste valorization, and low-alcohol beer research. International experience : Project work has included collaborations in the Netherlands and abroad, including Myanmar, Zambia, and Denmark, which supports cross-cultural product and supply-chain work. Community-building around fermentation : Beyond client work, Fou Food Lab runs a fermentation club and a fermentation podcast, reinforcing its role as a knowledge hub in the field.