From Hive to Lab: Why MeliBio Is Changing How We Make Honey

What if honey could be made without bees—and still taste just like the real thing? In this episode of FoodTech Junkies Sharon Cittone speaks with Darko Mandich, CEO and co-founder of MeliBio, about disrupting a $10B industry with science, sustainability, and storytelling.This isn’t just a conversation about alternative ingredients—it’s about rethinking how we produce food in a way that works better for the planet, for pollinators, and for people. From navigating skeptics to building partnerships that scale impact, Darko shares what it takes to launch a biotech startup that’s breaking conventions and opening minds. Whether you’re into food tech, sustainability, or just love a good founder story—this one’s for you.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to Food Systems Complexity00:13 Meet the Host and Guest00:31 Reinventing Honey Without Bees01:08 Darko’s Journey and Company Vision02:12 The Science Behind Bee-Free Honey06:56 Challenges and Market Perception07:58 Engaging with Skeptics and Traditionalists17:32 The Reality of Fake Honey23:38 Personal Journeys and Food System Dependencies30:59 Building a Food Tech Company on a Budget37:21 Partnerships and Market Expansion41:52 Future Vision and Final ThoughtsAbout Darko MandichDarko started his career in the European food industry in 2012 and worked on managing and growing honey companies in more than 5 countries. By pursuing his dream to reinvent the honey industry and make it sustainable, Darko immigrated from Serbia to the United States in 2019 to launch MeliBio.Darko is now an impact entrepreneur on a mission to sustainably feed 10B+ people with delicious and nutritious foods while saving Planet's keystone species - wild and native bees.Darko is passionate about the future of food and ways to advance science to make the food system sustainable, scalable and animal-free. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharoncittone.substack.com