Vivici fermentation unit

© Vivici

Fermentation

Vivici Partners with Ginkgo Bioworks to Expand Portfolio of Sustainable Dairy Proteins

Vivici, a Dutch B2B ingredients startup utilizing precision fermentation, and Ginkgo Bioworks, a cell programming and biosecurity platform, have announced a strategic partnership to advance the production of sustainable animal-free dairy proteins. Focusing on meeting the increasing global demand for sustainable and appealing proteins, Vivici utilizes precision fermentation techniques to create animal-free dairy proteins with microorganisms. Ginkgo Bioworks is set to enhance the partnership with its protein production services and generative AI platform. The company’s strategic role involves creating a comprehensive library, where it will screen and cultivate top-performing strains and then deliver them to Vivici for final evaluation. Stephan van Sint Fiet, CEO at Vivici, commented, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Ginkgo. Ginkgo’s scale and AI-driven approach to designing strains for protein expression …

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Animal-free milk products by Bon Vivant

© Bon Vivant

Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Study: Animal-Free Milk Generates 96% Fewer Emissions Than Dairy

A life-cycle assessment (LCA) has concluded that Bon Vivant‘s animal-free milk uses significantly fewer natural resources than cow’s milk and has a much smaller environmental footprint. The milk is made with animal-free whey and casein, which are produced using precision fermentation. The LCA, performed by an independent third party, compared one liter of animal-free milk made with Bon Vivant’s whey to an equivalent amount of dairy milk that had the same amount of protein. Huge environmental benefits The results show that Bon Vivant’s milk generates 96% fewer emissions than cow’s milk, while using 99% less water, 92% less land, and 50% less energy. According to Bon Vivant, the dairy sector is responsible for 2.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions — more than aviation. Consequently, a …

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Vivici cow logo

© Vivici

Fermentation

Netherlands-Based Vivici Closes Seed Round to Bring Animal-Free Dairy Proteins to Market

Newcomer Vivici B.V., a Dutch B2B ingredients company, announces it has successfully closed its seed funding round to bring to market animal-free animal-free dairy proteins made with precision fermentation, with strategic support from founding investors dsm-firmenich Venturing and Fonterra.   Headquartered at the Biotech Campus Delft and a dairy protein application lab in the Food Valley at NIZO food research, leveraging the Netherlands’ network and access to scale-up facilities and talent, the company draws on the founders’ experience in developing and scaling bioprocesses. Fonterra Chief Innovation & Brand Officer Komal Mistry-Mehta, says: “Vivici is an exciting opportunity to combine dsm-firmenich’s world-leading precision fermentation expertise with Fonterra’s world-leading dairy science and technology.”     Vivici was incorporated in December 2022 to bring animal-free dairy proteins to …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

© Formo

Studies & Numbers

Study Finds Animal-Free Cheese Could Capture 33% of Market and Go Mainstream

New research on consumer demand for animal-free cheese in the UK conducted by German precision fermentation company Formo in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan in Canada reveals promising figures for the nascent category and its capacity to disrupt the dairy industry. The study shows that at price parity, animal-free cheese has the potential to share 33% of the UK cheese market. Moreover, figures suggest that if demand grows and technologies improve, the market share could increase significantly, and the products could become mainstream. The study suggests that 79% of the precision fermentation cheese market will come from traditional cheese consumers. But while the industry lowers production costs to reach the same prices as conventional cheese, what is the market’s potential? Study findings show that at a premium …

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Animal-Free Dairy Milk

© Bored Cow

Politics & Law

Dairy Farmers’ Letter to the FDA: “It is Baseless, Preposterous and Absurd” to Refer to Animal-Free Dairy as Milk

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has written a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging it to ban the word ‘milk’ in the labeling of synthetic food products, arguing it violates the federal dairy Standard of Identity. The NMPF argues that milk is “the lacteal secretions of healthy cows (are dairy cows healthy?) and that alternatives made with synthetic dairy proteins simply use the word to masquerade as natural.  NMPF’s highlight of mislabeling is Bored Cow’s animal-free dairy milk made with precision fermentation-derived whey protein and other ingredients such as oils, sugars, water, vitamins, and minerals. Bored Cow’s animal-free milk launched at US natural foods retailer Sprouts Farmers Market this April. The company claims its milk alternative contains 8g of protein per cup (like …

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