- Perfect Day discusses the impact of bringing the world’s first non-animal whey protein to US, Hong Kong and Singapore markets.
Perfect Day, the trend-setting startup that has raised $750 million to create real dairy without cows, recently launched the world’s first animal-free whey protein powder. Partnering with health and wellness brand Natreve, the two companies have introduced Mooless, a whey protein powder identical to animal-based whey that is produced through precision fermentation of microbes.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to extend our impact as we enter new categories and new markets in the months ahead.”
Seeking to enter the multi-billion dollar powdered protein market, Perfect Day’s whey matches animal-based whey in taste, BCAA content, and grams of protein per serving, but is completely lactose-free and produces 97% fewer greenhouse emissions.
Mooless comes in four flavors – Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Fudge, Strawberry Shortcake, and Cookies and Cream – and is set to launch on Natreve’s website in early 2022. Perfect Day’s consumer-facing subsidiary brand, The Urgent Company, is also selling the whey protein as V-Whey under its own label, The California Performance Co. V-Whey is also available directly to consumers in Hong Kong and Singapore, making it Perfect Day’s first globally scaled ingredient.
We spoke to Ravi Jhala, Perfect Day’s Global Head of Commercial, about the importance of the latest product launch and what lies ahead for the trailblazing startup.
What does this innovation signify for the powdered protein market?
The protein powder category is continuing to grow, set to surpass $30.5 billion by 2027 according to Global Market Insights. As the protein powder category as a whole continues to grow, there’s also growing demand for animal-free options the same way there is with other dairy product categories like milk, cheese and ice cream. Perfect Day’s animal-free protein powder offers both the high performance of traditional whey protein and the animal-free, planet-positive values of plant-based protein powders.
What led to this collaboration, and will it continue?
We selected Natreve for our entrance to the ready-to-mix protein powder category because of their credibility in the space and mission alignment. Natreve has a robust offering of both plant-based and traditional whey protein powders, and we’re excited to partner on the newest addition to their line-up. We also launched California Performance Co. with our consumer-facing subsidiary The Urgent Company, directly to consumers in Singapore and Hong Kong in addition to the U.S., marking the first international expansion for Perfect Day.
Are other products that use whey protein, i.e. protein bars, in the works?
Ready-to-mix protein powder was a natural extension for Perfect Day, as it puts the nutritional value of our signature animal-free whey protein ingredient at the forefront. As we think about future innovations, we’re open to using our hallmark ingredient to reimagine any food that typically uses traditional whey protein to be animal-free.
What’s next for Perfect Day in terms of innovations?
In addition to the new animal-free whey protein powder, we’ve recently partnered with General Mills to pilot new innovations including animal-free cream cheese, Bold Cultr. We’re looking forward to continuing to extend our impact as we enter new categories and new markets in the months ahead.
