Unilever brand Breyers, an ice cream company in business since 1886, has launched a new lactose and cholesterol-free product made with animal-free whey protein.
Unilever, one of the world’s biggest CPG companies, partnered with Perfect Day, a pioneer producer of whey protein from precision fermentation, to introduce a more sustainable product than dairy ice cream but with the same taste and texture.
Perfect Day claims its protein is identical to cow’s whey offering a lower environmental impact — its process reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 97% and reduces blue water consumption by up to 99% compared to traditional production methods.
An exciting innovation
The new Breyers Lactose-Free Chocolate is described as providing the creamy taste people expect from the brand, and will be available nationwide in 48-ounce tubs beginning this month.
Perfect Day’s Whey has launched in milk, ice creams, sports nutrition products, and cream cheese. However, this collaboration makes Unilever the first multinational ice cream brand to incorporate Perfect Day’s fermented whey protein into consumer products. Perfect Day has worked with Mars on a chocolate bar and Nestlé on innovative beverages. Neither product has launched into retail.
“The launch of Breyers Lactose-Free Chocolate with animal-free dairy is an exciting and innovative addition to Breyers’ growing better-for-you portfolio,” says Lisa Vortsman, Chief Marketing Officer for Unilever Ice Cream North America.
Delicious animal-free dairy
Founded in 2014, Perfect Day has raised approximately $840 million in funding, including $90 million from a pre-series E round in January.
After a decade, the company’s founders Ryan Pandya and Perumal Gandhi recently stepped down from their operational management roles. TM Narayan took the reigns of the company as new interim CEO, as part of the company’s new leadership strategy to achieve profitability as a B2B global supplier of whey proteins. Narayan joined Perfect Day in 2021 as chief business operations officer and was named president in 2022.
This new ice cream product is the latest addition to Perfect Day’s expanding CPG partner brands that are poised to utilize ingredients that meet consumers’ preferences on taste and sustainability.
“As we’ve seen demand for alternative ice creams continue to grow, it is important to us to provide Breyers fans with frozen treats that meet their dietary needs and preferences, without compromising on the creamy taste and flavor that Breyers has offered for more than 150 years,” Vortsman adds.
