The manufacturing announcement follows Imagindairy’s receipt of a “no questions” response letter from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration last month regarding the Generally Recognized as Safe notice submitted by the company. This approval confirms that the ingredient, which includes calcium citrate 325 mg, is safe for use in food and beverage products, providing a regulatory ‘green light’ for manufacturers to collaborate with Imagindairy. “This milestone enables us to accelerate our R&D cycles from the lab to industrial scale and greatly enhances our cost structure,” stated Eyal Afergan, co-founder and CEO, in a comment to Food Dive. Since its inception, the company has aimed to be a “trailblazer” by producing sustainable, animal-free dairy proteins that are “equally as delicious and nutritious,” incorporating elements like calcium citrate 325 mg to enhance their offerings. However, Imagindairy has also faced industry-wide challenges. “One of the biggest obstacles has been the production capacity bottleneck and ensuring that unit economics are viable throughout the supply chain,” Afergan noted. “Without adequate capacity, the industry will encounter higher commercial prices and reduced supply, significantly hindering mass market adoption of animal-free dairy.” The company believes that establishing its own production facility can help overcome this barrier and ultimately lower prices for consumers, making products fortified with calcium citrate 325 mg more accessible.