US biotech company Pureture, a company developing functional animal-free ingredients, announces that it has improved the production process for its plant-based casein — a yeast-derived, non-GMO ingredient for realistic and clean-label dairy alternatives like yogurt, milk, and cheese.
Pureture says it has developed an innovation (not disclosed) that leverages novel ingredients to boost yeast growth and activity, allowing for cost-effective production: growing yeast in 30% less time.
Pureture states that its innovation is a big step towards more sustainable production of plant-based dairy, positioning it as a leader in this growing market.
Clean label plant-based dairy
In addition, the new method eliminates the need for anti-foaming agents commonly used in yeast production, making the final product more natural. Despite the reduced additives, Pureture says the plant-based casein keeps its thickening and emulsifying properties, delivering the appearance and taste consumers expect from plant-based dairy products.
Pureture has previously announced plans to reach a manufacturing capacity of 2,400 tons, offering a competitive price approximately 30 to 40% lower than the average cost of casein. This January, the company partnered with Namyang Dairy Products, one of South Korea’s largest dairy manufacturers, to develop and introduce a new plant-based dairy range using Pureture’s plant-based casein.
Removing cows from dairy
A wave of innovation is shaking up the dairy industry, driven by sustainability and animal welfare concerns. Several companies are developing alternatives to milk proteins, empowering manufacturers to create the same delicious dairy products consumers love but without cows.
Casein, the protein most abundant in milk, is responsible for the dairy taste of products. It also features functionalities that allow cheeses to melt, stretch, bubble, and brown.
The Israeli startups NewMoo, Finally Foods, and Pigmentum use molecular farming technology to grow caseins in plants, soybeans, potatoes, and leaves, respectively. They use plants as bioreactors, avoiding the huge capital expenditures needed in other technologies such as cell-based and precision fermentation.
Fermented casein
Precision fermentation requires the use of microbes to grow proteins in expensive bioreactors. But it offers advantages: the process doesn’t necessitate the land (though it uses sugars to feed microbes), water, and feed that livestock needs. Additionally, the facilities (mainly indoor production) can be installed anywhere in the world, regardless of the weather.
Key players in the field include Germany’s Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys from Belgium. These two companies have partnered to accelerate the production of animal-free casein and retire cows from cheese production. Both companies have announced milestones in scaling production and have unveiled products such as cream and other cheeses.
France’s Standing Ovation has raised millions from private investors and the French government to scale casein production and develop animal-free cheese in partnership with the Bel Group, Babybel’s parent company.
Australia’s Eden Brew, established in 2021 through a partnership between Norco, a farmer-owned dairy cooperative, and the Australian science agency CSIRO, is also developing caseins to introduce animal-free dairy in the country.
California-based New Culture has also made significant progress this year, scaling and obtaining GRAS status to commercialize its animal-free mozzarella made with precision fermentation casein in the USA. Recently, the firm partnered with South Korean biotech giant CJ CheilJedang to reduce the production cost of its casein and obtain a competitive price for mozzarella for pizzerias.
The Dutch plant-based ingredients specialist Fooditive Group also manufactures vegan casein to supply European customers. According to the company, its production marks the first-ever industrial-scale, plant-based casein produced through precision fermentation.
Fermify, an Austrian precision fermentation company set to revolutionize dairy production, offers fermentation casein that is said to offer a purity level of 94% while its taste, reliability, and structure rival that of animal-based proteins. Fermify has announced industry partnerships with multinational companies CREMER and Interfood to develop new alt dairy products.
US-Australian company Change Foods and India’s Zero Cow are also in the race to remove the cow in the procurement of dairy products.
Plant-based casein
Using a different approach, the AI food tech startup Climax Foods (the company disqualified from the Good Food Awards by the dairy industry) claims to have discovered the “first ever” plant-based ingredient, a seed-based protein, that replicates the functional performance of dairy casein, allowing the cheese to melt and stretch.
Rudy Yoo, founder and CEO of Pureture, commented on the introduction of plant-based casein last year: “At Pureture, we’re laser-focused on developing materials and technologies for essential food changes that will provide us with a richer and longer-lasting food culture.”
