Aug 17, 2021 16:00:00

What is a startup that produces 'dairy products with the same protein at the molecular level as the real thing' without using dairy cows?

There have been widespread alternatives to milk made from plant materials, such as

soy milk made from soybeans and oat milk made from oats, but these are very different from milk in terms of ingredients. So, CNN reports that a startup called Perfect Day , based in California, USA, manufactures 'dairy products that have the same protein at the molecular level as milk without using dairy cows.'

Perfect Day is creating'real' dairy, without cows --CNN
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/12/business/perfect-day-dairy-protein-hnk-intl-spc/index.html

Based in California, Perfect Day develops and manufactures dairy products that do not use dairy cows in the manufacturing process, while having the same taste and function as those made with real milk. 'We were interested in the question of what milk contains, which is believed to be lacking in plant-based alternative milk,' said Ryan Pandya, co-founder and CEO of Perfect Day. It brings more functionality and nutrition than it does, 'he told CNN.

Realizing that protein plays an important role in the taste and function of milk, Perfect Day tackled the question, 'How can we make the protein contained in milk without using animals?'

And the Perfect Day research team came up with a solution that 'produces proteins using microorganisms such as fungi.' This method first collects the genes encoding whey protein in milk and introduces them into the fungus. By putting this fungus in a fermentation tank that makes beer and wine and adding a little sugar, the fungus produces the protein contained in milk.

Whey protein produced by fungi is filtered and dried before being used as a material for dairy products. Perfect Day's whey protein-free foods, free of

lactose and animal-derived hormones, are 'vegan-friendly' dairy products that even vegans who avoid animal exploitation can eat.

In 2020, Perfect Day

partnered with ice cream brands such as N! Ck's and Graeter's to launch an ice cream called 'Brave Robot, ' which uses whey protein produced without dairy cows. Brave Robot can already be purchased at 5,000 stores throughout the United States, and ice cream using Perfect Day's whey protein is also on sale in Hong Kong.

Perfect Day is also developing various dairy products such as yogurt, mozzarella cheese and cream cheese, and it is said that cream cheese will be put on the market in the latter half of 2021.

It is worth noting that removing dairy cows from the dairy manufacturing process not only provides vegan-friendly dairy products, but is also environmentally friendly. Livestock such as cattle are known to emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, and in 2015, 1.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide were emitted worldwide during the manufacturing process of dairy products. On the other hand, by using Perfect Day technology, carbon dioxide emissions in the production of dairy products can be reduced by 85 to 97%.

Perfect Day isn't the only startup looking at sustainable dairy products, California startup New Culture uses a fermentation process to make dairy-free cheese, and a startup called TurtleTree Labs. Makes milk using cultured cells. According to the Good Food Institute , a non-profit organization that promotes innovation in alternative proteins, $ 590 million will be invested in the field of fermented alternative proteins in 2020, of which $ 300 million will be invested. ) Was invested in Perfect Day.

Challenges faced by companies that manufacture alternative dairy products include 'it takes time to get regulatory approval' and 'product prices are higher than regular dairy products.' For example, Perfect Day ice cream is about the same price as high-end ice cream such as Haagen-Dazs.

According to Pandya, Perfect Day is seeking approval from regulators in Canada, India and Europe, as well as looking for partners in the dairy industry. 'This is a product for people who still love dairy but want better dairy for themselves, the planet, and animals.' 'We make foods that are kinder and more environmentally friendly. We are developing a method for this in the field of dairy products, but this cannot be done alone, 'Pandya said.