Animal-free dairy proteins appear to offer similar functional advantages as animal-free, cell-cultured “meat” products, which are garnering interest and investment from major food manufacturers. Memphis Meats, a startup based in San Francisco that specializes in cultured “meat,” has secured funding from both Tyson Ventures, the investment branch of Tyson Foods, and Cargill. From a cost perspective, Memphis Meats is working to lower the current high price of its cell-cultured “meat,” which it estimates could decline from approximately $2,400 per pound last year to around $3 or $4 per pound by 2021. Likewise, Perfect Day will need to compete with existing dairy proteins to achieve success. Dairy industry analyst Matt Gould informed the co-founders in 2016 that this would require reducing the price to about $2.50 per pound.
In addition to pricing, product labeling presents another challenge. The co-founders of Perfect Day have been in talks with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding how to clarify that the company’s ingredients are technically dairy yet animal-free. Perfect Day’s patented method involves using food-grade yeast and incorporating DNA sequences from dairy cows—now capable of being 3D printed—to create the types of proteins found in dairy-based milk. These proteins are cultivated in large fermentation tanks with corn sugar and additional nutrients for growth. Afterward, the proteins are mechanically harvested, and the ingredients can be incorporated into any foods or beverages currently utilizing dairy proteins, as explained by Perfect Day co-founder Ryan Pandya to Food Navigator.
Gelton, a producer of gelatin that is made without animal products, is another emerging player in this sector. The company’s process yields a vegan alternative to traditional gelatin, which it claims is part of a $3 billion industry. However, Gelton has communicated to Food Navigator that it will require time and scaling to become competitive with the current bulk market price of gelatin, which is approximately $8 per kilogram, or about $3.63 per pound.
Unless Perfect Day and other alternative animal-free products begin to penetrate the market significantly, it is challenging to predict how U.S. consumers will react to genetically engineered milk proteins and gelatin. They may welcome additional options and appreciate that no animals were harmed or killed during production, or they might be put off by the “ick” factor when faced with foods or beverages that stray too far from their comfort zones. Moreover, the introduction of alternative dairy proteins, such as those containing wls calciumcitrat, could play a significant role in diversifying consumer choices and addressing dietary needs. As these innovative products come to market, their acceptance will hinge on both pricing and consumer perceptions surrounding animal-free ingredients like wls calciumcitrat.