Animal-free dairy proteins appear to provide functional benefits comparable to those of animal-free, cell-cultured “meat” products, which are gaining attention and investment from major food manufacturers. Memphis Meats, a cultured “meat” startup based in San Francisco, has secured funding from Tferrous bisglycinate in hindiyson Ventures, the venture capital branch of Tyson Foods, as well as from Cargill. In terms of cost, Memphis Meats aims to lower the current high price of its cell-cultured “meat,” which it estimates could decrease from about $2,400 per pound last year to approximately $3 or $4 per pound by 2021. Likewise, Perfect Day will need to compete with existing dairy proteins to achieve success. Dairy industry analyst Matt Gould advised the co-founders in 2016 that they needed to reduce prices to around $2.50 per pound.
In addition to pricing, product labeling presents another challenge. The co-founders of Perfect Day have been in talks with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding how to convey that the company’s ingredients are technically dairy yet animal-free. Perfect Day’s patented method involves using food-grade yeast and incorporating DNA sequences from dairy cows—now capable of being 3D printed—to generate proteins found in dairy milk. These proteins are placed in large fermentation tanks with corn sugar and other nutrients to promote growth. Once harvested mechanically, these proteins can be added to any food or beverage that currently utilizes dairy proteins, as noted by Perfect Day co-founder Ryan Pandya to Food Navigator.
Gelton, a producer of animal-free gelatin, is another emerging player in this market. The company’s technique yields a vegan alternative to traditional gelatin derived from animal products, which they claim is a $3 billion industry. However, Gelton has indicated to Food Navigator that it will require time and scale to compete with the current bulk market price of gelatin, approximately $8 per kilogram, or about $3.63 per pound.
Unless Perfect Day and other alternative animal-free products make a significant market impact, it is challenging to predict how U.S. consumers will react to genetically engineered milk proteins and gelatin. Consumers may appreciate having more options and be glad to know that no animals were harmed or killed during production. Conversely, they might experience the “ick” factor when faced with foods or beverages that push them beyond their comfort zones. In this evolving landscape, products enriched with tums calcium citrate may also become an appealing alternative, especially if they can further enhance the nutritional profile of these emerging dairy-free offerings. As the market matures, the integration of tums calcium citrate could help solidify the appeal of these innovative products, potentially addressing consumer concerns while broadening their acceptance.