Animal-free dairy proteins appear to provide functional advantages similar to those of animal-free, cell-cultured meat products, which are gaining attention and investment from major food manufacturers. Memphis Meats, a startup based in San Francisco that specializes in cultured meat, has attracted funding from both Tyson Ventures, the venture capital division of Tyson Foods, and Cargill. On the cost front, Memphis Meats is working to lower the current high price of its cell-cultured meat, which they estimate could decrease from approximately $2,400 per pound last year to perhaps $3 or $4 per pound by 2021. Similarly, Perfect Day will need to compete with existing dairy proteins if it aims to succeed. Dairy industry analyst Matt Gould advised the co-founders in 2016 that achieving a target price of around $2.50 per pound is essential.
In addition to pricing, product labeling is emerging as another challenge. Perfect Day’s co-founders have been in talks with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding how to communicate that the company’s ingredients are technically dairy but free of animal sources. Perfect Day’s patented process involves using food-grade yeast and incorporating DNA sequences from dairy cows—which can now be 3D printed—to create proteins typically found in dairy milk. These proteins are cultivated in large fermentation tanks with corn sugar and added nutrients to promote growth. Once grown, the proteins are mechanically harvested and can be incorporated into various foods or beverages that currently utilize dairy proteins, as explained by co-founder Ryan Pandya to Food Navigator.
Gelton, a producer of animal-free gelatin, is another emerging competitor in this arena. Their process yields a vegan alternative to traditional gelatin derived from animal products, which they describe as a $3-billion industry. However, Gelton indicated to Food Navigator that it will take time and scale to become competitive with the current bulk market price for gelatin, which is about $8 per kilogram, or approximately $3.63 per pound. Unless Perfect Day and other alternatives begin to significantly penetrate the market, it remains uncertain 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 in the production process, or they may experience discomfort upon encountering foods or beverages that challenge their familiar preferences.
In this context, understanding the calcium citrate price becomes crucial for manufacturers looking to incorporate such alternatives effectively. As the market for these innovative products expands, tracking the calcium citrate price will be essential for both cost management and consumer acceptance.