Crepes filled with animal-free cream

© Imagindairy

Fermentation

Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks Receive Grant to Accelerate the Launch of Cow-Free Dairy Proteins

Israeli animal-free dairy protein developer Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), a Boston-based biotech specializing in cell programming, announce a partnership to accelerate the introduction of a new wave of cow-free dairy. A joint grant from the Board of Governors of the Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has partly funded the companies’s multiyear program to commercialize non-whey dairy proteins. The collaboration will leverage Ginkgo Bioworks’ Protein Expression Services and Imagindairy’s process development and scale-up expertise to develop and manufacture animal-free whey cost-effectively to reach prices similar to dairy proteins.  Ginkgo is also working with the Chicago-based alt-seafood producer Aqua Cultured Foods to improve the economics and functions of its microbial strains for large-scale operations. Jennifer Wipf, CEO at Ginkgo Bioworks, shares, “Being awarded …

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Strive FREEMILK Whole, an alternative milk crafted with Perfect Day's whey protein, has launched in partnership with Florida coffee roasters Oceana Coffee at the 2024 Miami Open.

Image courtesy of Strive FREEMILK

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Strive Milk is Served at the Miami Open, Becoming First Animal-Free Milk at Major Sporting Event

Strive FREEMILK Whole, an alternative milk crafted with Perfect Day‘s sustainable whey protein, is being served in partnership with Florida coffee roasters Oceana Coffee at the 2024 Miami Open. This launch represents the first animal-free milk made with precision fermentation protein served at a major sporting event, marking a huge milestone for the alt dairy category, gaining mainstream visibility and recognition beyond just being available online or in stores. Strive Nutrition Corp., the company behind Strive FREEMILK, states that its “milk-like” product will revolutionize the coffee experience at the Miami Open thanks to its rich flavor, high protein content, sustainability, and ethical standards. MichaelAnn Cohlmia, Creative Director at Strive Nutrition, shared, “We are thrilled to introduce Strive FREEMILK to the tennis fans and coffee enthusiasts …

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Bored Cow launches animal-free yogurt, announced B-Corp status

© Bored Cow

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Bored Cow Launches “First of its Kind” Animal-Free Yogurt Made with Fermented Proteins

In response to its most consumer-requested product; Tomorrow Farms‘ animal-free dairy brand, Bored Cow, announces that it has developed the “first of its kind” range of drinkable yogurt made with milk protein from fermentation, coconut cream, and cane sugar.  Bored Cow’s new yogurt alternative comes in 7 oz bottles in three flavors: strawberry, vanilla, and passion fruit mango. Each bottle provides 8 g of complete protein per bottle, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and live probiotic cultures. Furthermore, they are free from milk’s lactose, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics. The new animal-free yogurt range will launch in New York City this month, with a suggested competitive retail price of $2.99 to $3.99.  The brand states, “Bored Cow offers everything consumers love about conventional dairy and nothing they …

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Unilever's brand Breyers has launched a new dairy-free ice cream made with animal-free dairy proteins from Perfect Day.

© Perfect Day

Products & Launches

Unilever’s Breyers Launches Lactose-Free Ice Cream made with Animal-Free Whey Protein

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 …

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Remilk has become the first company to receive the green light in Canada for a precision fermentation-derived protein.

Image courtesy of Remilk

Fermentation

Remilk Receives No Objections Letter for Sale of Animal-Free Milk Protein, Heralding “New-Dairy Revolution” in Canada

Israeli biotech company Remilk announces that it has obtained Health Canada’s “Letter of No Objection,” allowing the use and commercialization of its animal-free milk protein called BLG within Canada. With this achievement, Remilk has become the first company to receive the green light in the country for a precision fermentation-derived protein.  According to the announcement, Health Canada conducted a thorough evaluation and deemed Remilk’s animal-free protein safe for consumption. As a result, Canada has opened the door for new dairy products, including milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cream cheese, made with novel proteins instead of traditional milk proteins. “This is an important day for us at Remilk, and a historic one for Canada as it opens its doors to the new-dairy revolution. We developed a strategic roadmap for …

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21st.BIO's team

© 21st.BIO

Manufacturing & Technology

21st.BIO Opens Access to its Large-Scale Production Platform for Animal-Free Dairy Proteins

21st.BIO, a Danish bioproduction firm offering integrated end-to-end services, announces that it is granting access to its precision fermentation technology platform to produce animal-free dairy proteins. The new service aims to offer ingredient manufacturers, from startups to leading companies, cost-effective solutions to accelerate the development of sustainable dairy proteins at a competitive cost. 21st.BIO states it has the industry’s most advanced precision fermentation technology platform for large-scale production. Its fermentation technology is partly licensed from Novonesis (a merger of Novozymes and Chr. Hansen Holding), which has developed its platform over several decades to produce food-grade ingredients. Thomas Schmidt, CEO of 21st.BIO, comments: “We founded 21st.BIO with one simple mission: to make precision fermentation technology accessible to as many companies as possible, so they can successfully take their …

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Pureture X Namyang products

© Pureture

Fermentation

Pureture Partners with South Korea’s Namyang Dairy to Launch Dairy-Free Range Made with Plant-Based Casein

Pureture,  a US biotech specializing in producing animal-free ingredients with functional properties, announces a partnership with Namyang Dairy Products, one of South Korea‘s largest dairy manufacturers. Namyang, a global company with a presence in 21 countries, produces milk, yogurt, cheese, cream, and butter. The dairy giant will use Pureture’s plant-based casein to develop and introduce a new plant-based dairy range to offer consumers sustainable options. Pureture claims that it has developed the world’s first non-GMO plant-based casein. The protein is yeast-derived, and according to Purture, it enables manufacturers to develop clean-label, dairy-free products without additives, emulsifiers, or binders. Furthermore, Pureture says it will reach a manufacturing capacity of 2,400 tons to meet the growing demand while offering a competitive price approximately 30 to 40 percent lower …

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Imagindairy

© Imagindairy

Company News

Imagindairy Advances Precision Fermentation Production for Animal-Free Dairy Ingredients

Israeli food tech startup Imagindairy reached a significant milestone today with the acquisition and operation of its industrial-scale precision fermentation production lines, which are dedicated to producing alternative dairy ingredients. The company claims that this achievement positions Imagindairy as the first company in the industry to fully own and operate its own industrial-scale production lines exclusively for animal-free milk proteins. The company’s fermentation technology, combined with increased production capacity, enables Imagindairy to offer animal-free products to brands at competitive prices, at price parity with traditional dairy. Co-founder and CEO of Imagindairy, Dr. Eyal Afergan, comments, “Having just entered the landscape three years ago, this achievement is a big step forward for us. We’ve overcome industry-wide hurdles that have previously hindered precision fermentation dairy, including addressing …

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perfect-day-animal-free-dairy-founders

© Perfect Day Foods

Investments & Finance

Perfect Day Secures $90M to Scale Whey Proteins, Co-Founders Step Down for New Leadership

Perfect Day, a US precision fermentation company producing whey proteins, announces that it has raised a pre-series E financing round of up to $90 million led by internal investors. After securing the funding round, co-founder and CEO Ryan Pandya and co-founder Perumal Gandhi have stepped down from a decade of operational management roles. “They now hand the reigns to a team poised to continue their work into a period of scaling production volumes and creating a profitable and future-focused business,” reads the announcement. The Berkeley-based biotech also announced the company’s current president, TM Narayan, as the interim CEO to helm the business on its path to profitability. According to the biotech, Narayan will bring an “elevated” leadership to the company by offering his strong track record …

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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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