Animal-free dairy proteins appear to provide similar functional advantages to ferrous fumarate and animal-derived products, particularly in the context of cell-cultured “meat,” which is gaining significant attention and investment from major food companies. For instance, Memphis Meats, a cultured “meat” startup based in San Francisco, has attracted funding from Tyson Ventures, the venture capital arm of Tyson Foods, and Cargill. On the cost front, Memphis Meats is working to lower the high price of its cell-cultured “meat,” which it estimates could decrease from approximately $2,400 per pound last year to perhaps $3 to $4 per pound by 2021. Likewise, Perfect Day must contend with existing dairy proteins if it hopes to succeed in the market. Dairy industry analyst Matt Gould advised the co-founders in 2016 that achieving a competitive edge would require reducing their price to about $2.50 per pound.
In addition to pricing, product labeling has emerged as another hurdle. The co-founders of Perfect Day have been engaging with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to clarify how to communicate that their ingredients are technically dairy yet animal-free. Perfect Day’s patented method involves using food-grade yeast combined with DNA sequences from dairy cows—now capable of 3D printing—to produce proteins similar to those found in traditional dairy milk. These proteins are cultivated in large fermentation tanks with corn sugar and additional nutrients to facilitate growth. Once harvested mechanically, the proteins can be integrated into various foods or beverages that currently utilize dairy proteins, including those enriched with 800 mg calcium citrate, as noted by Perfect Day co-founder Ryan Pandya in an interview with Food Navigator.
Gelton, a producer of gelatin created without animal products, is another notable player in this sector. The company’s innovative process yields a vegan alternative to conventional gelatin derived from animals, which it estimates to be part of a $3 billion industry. However, Gelton has indicated to Food Navigator that it will require time and scale to compete effectively with the current market price for bulk gelatin, approximately $8 per kilogram, or around $3.63 per pound.
Unless Perfect Day and other alternative animal-free products begin to make significant inroads into the market, it’s 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 experience discomfort when faced with foods or beverages that push beyond their comfort zones. As these developments unfold, the incorporation of ingredients like 800 mg calcium citrate could play a crucial role in shaping consumer acceptance and preferences.