New Culture

New Culture

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Investments & Finance

New Culture’s Animal-Free Mozzarella Sparks $5M in Early Demand from Pizzerias Nationwide

Animal-free dairy company New Culture has secured more than $5 million in early demand for its mozzarella from pizza chefs and restaurant operators across the United States. The company’s product, made using precision fermentation rather than traditional dairy sources, is expected to launch at select pizzerias, starting with Los Angeles-based Pizzeria Mozza. The company has engaged with pizzerias ranging from independent operators to national chains, conducting product tastings and receiving feedback on performance in various pizza-making environments. Chefs have tested the cheese in wood-fired, gas, and electric ovens at temperatures ranging from 550°F to 900°F, reporting consistent results across a variety of pizza styles, including Neapolitan, New York, Detroit, and grandma-style pies. CEO and co-founder Matt Gibson states, “We hear from pizza chefs and operators …

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Whole pizza in close up with New Culture cheese melt

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Cheese Alternatives

New Culture Submits Animal-Free Mozzarella Product Label to California Department of Food and Agriculture

Animal-free dairy producer New Culture has submitted the product label and registration for its mozzarella to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). It is believed to be the first time a label for a product made with animal-free casein has been submitted to the department for review. Produced using precision fermentation, New Culture’s casein enables animal-free cheeses to melt, stretch, bubble, and brown. Traditional cheesemaking techniques are used to turn the casein into mozzarella, with the addition of ingredients such as water, sunflower oil, coconut oil, salt, sugar, starch, and fortifying minerals. The resulting product is claimed to provide the same taste and texture as mozzarella with a much lower environmental impact. Its nutritional profile is said to be similar to conventional mozzarella, …

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A pizza with animal-free mozzarella

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Cheese Alternatives

New Culture Partners with CJ CheilJedang to Streamline Costs of Animal-Free Mozzarella

Californian animal-free cheese producer New Culture announces a partnership with its previous investor, South Korean biotech giant CJ CheilJedang. New Culture develops casein from precision fermentation to make cow-free cheeses that melt, stretch, bubble, brown, and taste like conventional cheese without the lactose, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics found in milk.  The partnership will focus on reducing the production cost of New Culture’s casein to obtain a competitive price for its first product, animal-free mozzarella for pizzerias. Seung June Choi, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning at CJ CheilJedang, comments, “Since our initial investment in New Culture in 2022, the CJ CheilJedang team has continued to be impressed by the company’s technical progress, robust bioprocess, and global ambition in the animal-free dairy industry.” Expertise to fuel …

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Slice of pizza with melting New Culture cheese

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Fermentation

New Culture Announces “World First” GRAS Status for Precision Fermentation Casein, Paving the Way for Animal-Free Mozzarella

Following a review by an independent panel of qualified scientific and toxicology experts, Californian animal-free cheese producer New Culture announces that it has self-affirmed its precision fermentation-derived casein as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).  New Culture claims this achievement marks the “world’s first” GRAS designation for animal-free casein, which allows it to sell its products containing casein in the USA. New Culture has yet to notify the FDA through the GRAS Notification Program. It is worth noting that this step is not mandatory; however, the FDA strongly encourages manufacturers to contact the agency by submitting a notice. Inja Radman, co-founder and CSO of New Culture, shares: “Having secured another ‘world’s first’ for our animal-free casein is a testament to the hard-working and innovative team we have …

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Market & Trends

Survey by New Culture Reveals Growing Interest in Animal-Free Mozzarella Among Omnivores

A recent survey conducted by AMC Global and alt-dairy startup New Culture has uncovered a significant interest in animal-free mozzarella cheese among a diverse group of consumers, including omnivores, flexitarians, and vegans. The study highlights a growing openness to animal-free dairy products, even among those who consume animal-based products. New Culture creates dairy-free cheese that has the same stretch and melt qualities as traditional cheese but without using any animal byproducts. This is achieved by replacing casein, the key dairy protein in cheese, with a non-animal alternative produced through precision fermentation. The company has recently scaled up its precision fermentation platform, achieving an 80% reduction in product cost, after debuting its animal-free mozzarella in Los Angeles last June. Shira Horn, Executive Vice President at AMC …

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New Culture team shot

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Interviews

New Culture: “With Our Groundbreaking Science, Any Cheese is Possible and Can Be Made Completely Animal-Free”

Californian animal-free cheese producer New Culture revealed an impressive milestone last month, significantly upscaling its precision fermentation platform, managing to successfully produce enough animal-free casein in a single run to make enough vegan mozzarella for 25,000 pizzas. Since our last interview back in 2019, the startup has received backing from Kraft Heinz, ADM, and biotech giant CJ CheilJedang, for its innovative platform. It was time to catch up with CEO and co-founder Matt Gibson to hear more about New Culture’s string of success. What is New Culture’s mission or long-term goal?  New Culture’s mission and long-term goal is to lead the global change to an animal-free dairy future. We’re revolutionizing how cheese is made with our animal-free dairy products that stretch, melt, and taste like …

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New Culture team shot

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Cheese Alternatives

New Culture: “With Our Groundbreaking Science, Any Cheese is Possible and Can Be Made Completely Animal-Free”

Californian animal-free cheese producer New Culture revealed an impressive milestone last month, significantly upscaling its precision fermentation platform, managing to successfully produce enough animal-free casein in a single run to make enough vegan mozzarella for 25,000 pizzas. Since our last interview back in 2019, the startup has received backing from Kraft Heinz, ADM, and biotech giant CJ CheilJedang, for its innovative platform. It was time to catch up with CEO and co-founder Matt Gibson to hear more about New Culture’s string of success. What is New Culture’s mission or long-term goal?  New Culture’s mission and long-term goal is to lead the global change to an animal-free dairy future. We’re revolutionizing how cheese is made with our animal-free dairy products that stretch, melt, and taste like …

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New Culture's animal-free casein reaches milestone scale

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Fermentation

New Culture is “Redefining the Boundaries of What’s Possible in Dairy” with Significant Upscaling of Animal-Free Mozzarella

California startup New Culture announces that it has successfully increased the production of its precision fermentation platform to a much larger scale and additionally has achieved a reduction of 80% in product cost. According to the company, it has managed to produce enough animal-free casein in a single run to make cheese for 25,000 pizzas. Founded in 2019, New Culture makes animal-free mozzarella by combining traditional cheese-making methods and casein proteins derived from precision fermentation. The company debuted its revolutionary cheese in June at Nancy Silverton’s Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles — where New Culture’s mozzarella will officially launch in 2024 before expanding to other pizzerias nationwide.  New Culture has received financial support from companies, including Kraft Heinz, ADM, and biotech giant CJ CheilJedang, to develop further its innovative …

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New Culture mozzarella on a pizza

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Gastronomy & Food Service

New Culture’s “Groundbreaking” Animal-Free Mozzarella Makes World Debut in Los Angeles

New Culture’s animal-free mozzarella made its world debut yesterday, where leading chefs, culinary influencers and media gathered at the acclaimed Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles to taste the revolutionary cheese. Hosted by award-winning chef Nancy Silverton, the event gave guests a first chance to experience New Culture’s “first-of-its-kind” mozzarella, made from precision fermentation instead of cows.  Silverton and her team designed and prepared a four-course meal to showcase the versatility of New Culture’s cheese. The menu included arancini, eggplant parmesan, and speciality pizzas that featured the mozzarella chunked, shredded, sliced and baked.  Major milestone According to New Culture, the event marked an important milestone as the company prepares for its official launch at Pizzeria Mozza in 2024.  “The evening was an incredible debut for our …

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Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

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Gastronomy & Food Service

New Culture Partners with Chef Nancy Silverton to Launch “Revolutionary” Animal-Free Mozzarella in 2024

Precision fermentation startup New Culture announces it is partnering with iconic chef and restauranteur Nancy Silverton to launch its first product – animal-free mozzarella – in Silverton’s acclaimed Pizzeria Mozza restaurant in 2024. New Culture says the debut will mark a significant milestone in making its animal-free dairy cheese available to consumers.  As the co-owner of the renowned Mozza Restaurant Group, Silverton is known for her focus on high-quality pizza crust and premium mozzarella cheese.  According to New Culture, its product is the first animal-free cheese to meet Silverton’s high standards and be offered on the meny at any of her restaurants. The launch will feature two new pizzas: A traditional Margherita and a caponata pizza with eggplant, tomato confit, pickled onions and caperberries.  New Culture …

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James Jones

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Company News

Industry Veteran James Jones Joins New Culture, Says “Precision Fermentation is the Future of Food”

California-based animal-free cheese startup New Culture announces the addition of James Jones — former VP of innovation at Follow Your Heart, to lead New Culture’s team as the new VP of food science and product development. Poised for a US launch in 2024, the company is building a team of expert leaders. Last January, the startup announced the appointment of Mark Ramadan, with experience in launching and building iconic and mission-driven food companies like Hu, to its Board of Directors. “James is joining the team at the perfect time as we accelerate our manufacturing and commercialization efforts to bring New Culture mozzarella to market,” said Inja Radman, New Culture’s co-founder and CSO. 30 years in the industry “James’s extensive experience across the food industry will be invaluable for our …

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Vegan Egg White

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

9 Global Food Tech Leaders Join Forces to Launch The Precision Fermentation Alliance

Today, nine leaders in precision fermentation announce they are coming together to establish the Precision Fermentation Alliance, a new trade organization to promote precision fermentation as a solution for a more resilient and sustainable food system.  Intended to serve as an industry voice for the precision fermentation industry, the group’s founding members include Change Foods, The EVERY Co., Helaina, Imagindairy, Motif FoodWorks, New Culture, Onego Bio, Perfect Day, and Remilk. Precision fermentation involves the process of creating nature-identical versions of popular products and ingredients (like dairy and egg proteins) by utilizing the natural ability of microorganisms to turn sugars into proteins and other complex organic molecules. According to the Alliance, its members have aligned on the following goals: Promote understanding of precision fermentation technology. Build …

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Matt Gibson, New Culture

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Opinion

Op Ed: Matt Gibson, CEO and Co-Founder of New Culture, on Precision Fermentation

“Precision fermentation is here to define a more sustainable, delicious path for the alternative protein industry,” says Matt Gibson, co-founder and CEO of California’s New Culture. Founded in 2019, New Culture is “revolutionizing how cheese is made by combining traditional cheesemaking methods with modern fermentation technology”, a process that Gibson asserts has been used for decades and is already used to make products in nearly every aisle of the grocery store. Precision Fermentation: The Future of the Alternative Protein Industry By Matt Gibson, CEO and co-Founder, New Culture In mid-November 2022, the global human population reached 8.0 billion from an estimated 2.5 billion people in 1950, adding 1 billion people since 2010 and 2 billion since 1998. This is causing the global demand for meat …

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Company News

Alt-Dairy Startup New Culture Appoints ‘Hu’ Chocolate CEO Mark Ramadan to Board of Directors

Animal-free cheese startup New Culture announces it is appointing Mark Ramadan, the CEO of leading chocolate brand Hu, to its Board of Directors.  According to New Culture, Ramadan’s appointment marks the company’s next step as it prepares for its first public tastings of animal-free mozzarella, in preparation for a US launch in 2024.  Ramadan is currently the CEO of Hu (pronounced “hue”), which is said to be America’s leading better-for-you chocolate brand. Imploring consumers to “Get Back to Human”,  Hu sells a range of dairy-free chocolate bars made from a strict list of simple ingredients. Many of Hu’s chocolates are vegan as well as paleo and refined sugar-free.  Prior to Hu,  Mark was the co-founder and CEO of Sir Kensington’s, which produces a line of …

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new cultures's mozzarella cheese melting in an oven baked pizza on a plate

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Investments & Finance

New Culture Secures Investment for its Animal-Free Mozzarella

New Culture has announced an undisclosed investment from Korean food and biotech giant CJ CheilJedang to advance its animal-free mozzarella at scale.    New Culture — which plans to launch its “melty, stretchy mozzarella” at pizzerias in 2023 — explains that the new investment will go towards product development and scale-up. Founded in New Zealand but now based in San Leandro, California, New Culture creates animal-free mozzarella using microbial caseins produced via precision fermentation. The company claims its cheese alternative, made without cows, tastes and functions exactly like traditional dairy. “Invaluable experience and connections” A leading food and biotechnology company and the world’s leading fermentation-based bio-products supplier, CJ CheilJedang is also a 25% market-share holder in the US frozen pizza market. In 2019, the company …

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New Culture Fermented Mozzarella Cheese

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Company News

ADM and New Culture Announce Strategic Partnership to Scale Animal-Free Mozzarella and Dairy Products

Agribusiness leader ADM and animal-free dairy company New Culture are forming a strategic partnership to accelerate the commercialization of alt-dairy foods. The partnership will include joint product development and scaling of New Culture’s animal-free casein and dairy innovations, which are expected to launch in US food service in 2023.  Founded in New Zealand, New Culture creates animal-free dairy products using precision fermentation techniques that produce casein, one of the primary proteins found in cow’s milk. By making casein without cows, New Culture offers cheese and other foods that are indistinguishable in taste and texture from traditional dairy. The new partnership will utilize ADM’s broad product development resources to accelerate New Culture’s applications. The startup will also have access to ADM’s full pantry of sustainable, plant-based …

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