Remilk has become the first company ever to receive regulatory approval for animal-free milk protein from the Israeli Ministry of Health.
Described as a “historic achievement”, the approval will allow products made with Remilk proteins to be sold to Israeli consumers. This will make Israel one of the first countries worldwide to offer consumers real animal-free dairy products without lactose or cholesterol.
Thorough testing by the Ministry of Health has determined that Remilk’s product is “safe, of high-quality, and identical to its cow-derived counterpart”.
“The breakthrough achievement of Remilk’s R&D team lies in its success in converting a technology that has been used for decades to create components for the food industry (such as vitamins and enzymes) in small quantities, to produce one of the most significant and high-quality components in the food industry. Our milk protein, produced on an industrial scale, allows us to practically change the face of the dairy market,” said Dr. Ori Cohavi, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and co-founder of Remilk.
“Defining moment”
It was initially reported last week that Remilk was set to receive regulatory approval in Israel. It comes less than a year after the company received an FDA No Questions Letter in the US, confirming the administration’s acceptance of an expert panel’s conclusion that Remilk’s animal-free protein can be used in food products under its GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) standards. Remilk also recently received regulatory clearance from the Singapore Food Authority.
Last year, Remilk partnered with the Central Bottling Company — the Israeli franchisee of Coca-Cola and one of the largest food companies in the country — to launch a line of dairy products made with Remilk protein.
“This is a defining moment, not only for Remilk, but for the entire global alternative protein industry and the state of Israel, one of the first in the world to recognize the significance of precision fermentation,” said Aviv Wolff, CEO and founder of Remilk. “The opening of the Israeli market to real, animal-free dairy products will place Israel not only at the forefront of global food-tech research and development, but also as a leading market in the world for new food consumption. Today’s news opens the door for the introduction of high-quality and nutritious animal-free dairy products.”
