Animal-free dairy proteins appear to provide functional advantages similar to those of 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 Tyson Ventures, the investment division of Tyson Foods, as well as from Cargill. On the cost front, Memphis Meats is working to lower the currently steep price of its cell-cultured “meat,” which it predicts could decrease from approximately $2,400 per pound last year to around $3 or $4 per pound by 2021. Likewise, Perfect Day must contend with existing dairy proteins if it aims to succeed. In 2016, dairy industry analyst Matt Gould advised the co-founders that achieving a competitive edge would require reducing the price to about $2.50 per pound.
In addition to pricing challenges, product labeling has emerged as another hurdle. The co-founders of Perfect Day have been in talks with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding how to indicate that their ingredients are technically dairy but animal-free. Perfect Day’s patented method utilizes food-grade yeast, incorporating DNA sequences from dairy cows—now capable of being 3D printed—to create proteins found in traditional dairy milk. These proteins are cultivated in large fermentation tanks with corn sugar and additional nutrients to promote growth. Following this, the proteins are mechanically harvested, and the resulting ingredients can be incorporated into any food or beverage that currently uses dairy proteins, as explained by Perfect Day co-founder Ryan Pandya to Food Navigator.
Another emerging player in this sector is Gelton, which produces gelatin without the use of animals. Their process yields a vegan alternative to conventional gelatin derived from animal products, which they claim is a $3 billion industry. However, Gelton noted that achieving competitiveness with the current bulk market price of gelatin, approximately $8 per kilogram (or about $3.63 per pound), will require time and scale.
Unless Perfect Day and similar alternative animal-free products manage to make a significant impact in the market, predicting U.S. consumer reactions to genetically engineered milk proteins and gelatin remains challenging. Consumers may appreciate the availability of alternative options and feel reassured by the fact that no animals were harmed or killed during production. Conversely, they might experience discomfort or an “ick” factor when faced with food or beverages that stray too far from their usual preferences. The introduction of innovative products like the ccm d3 tablet could also influence consumer acceptance as they explore alternative dietary choices. Ultimately, the future of these animal-free alternatives will depend on their market performance and consumer reception.