Startup makes “literally identical” cow-free cheese proteins

A food tech startup in Israel has created a cow-free version of casein, the protein needed to give cheese its “real” dairy texture.

NewMoo (originally Imagene Foods) uses plant-based molecular farming (PMF) to produce a sustainable, cost-effective and vegan version of the solid dairy product.

Dairy-free cheese alternatives have been around for a long time – breakfast cereal inventor John Harvey Kellogg developed a soy-based “cheese” in 1937 – but even 21st-century dairy-free cheeses have not. achieves taste, texture, aroma. or the fusion properties of the real thing; largely because they do not contain casein.

Meanwhile, the global cheese market is valued at $135 billion per year and is expected to reach $220 billion by 2028; and demand for non-dairy alternatives is growing, with 42 percent of consumers identifying as flexitarians (largely vegetarian, with occasional shifts away from meat consumption).

That’s why the ability to produce a plant-based version of casein – the holy grail of the alternative dairy industry – could be a game-changer.

Founded in 2021, NewMoo describes its proteins as “literally identical to animal-based caseins”, minus the lactose and cholesterol, and is one of the first companies in the world to produce animal-free caseins.

NewMoo grows its source of casein in a field using genetically modified seeds, then uses a special process to turn it into liquid. They describe the process as “top secret” and will not provide details about the culture they use, although it is known that the concept and technology are based on research conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot .

The company’s team – which includes former executives from Nestlé, Tnuva and Strauss and PhDs in molecular sciences from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology – has been working for years to turn this research into a marketable product, backed by a $7 million in seed funding.

“Our animal-free liquid casein mimics all the functional characteristics of real milk proteins for traditional cheese making,” said Daphna Miller, CEO of NewMoo.

She said their caseins can form the basis of a cheese with the exact melting and stretching behavior of an animal-based dairy cheese, as well as the typical aroma, flavor and texture.

They also make it possible to set up an efficient and profitable process which “frees the cow from the industrial milk production process”, explains the company.

“Unlike protein powders, NewMoo Liquid Casein is ready to produce, helping to streamline production and time to market,” Miller said. “This means it can seamlessly replace cow’s milk in any dairy cheese manufacturing plant without the need for special equipment or reconfiguration of existing equipment.”

The fact that NewMoo grows its source of casein as a crop is significant. Other companies developing casein substitutes focus on “precision fermentation” of them in a bioreactor, which is more complex and expensive.

“This gives us the flexibility to produce these complex proteins in abundance and at exceptional cost parity,” adds Miller.

Hod Yanover, NewMoo’s vice president of food development, explained the company’s overall approach to the market.

“Our goal is to help dairy cheese makers expand their market to include the growing flexitarian population,” he said. “We make it easy for cheesemakers to create delicious, nutritious, guilt-free products at no extra cost.”

NewMoo has not yet said when products containing its vegetable caseins will be available in supermarkets.