Specialist in sustainable plant-based ingredients Fuditive group Announced that after successful production trials, it could produce large quantities of vegan casein to supply European customers.
Using a proprietary bacterial strain developed through gene synthesis and precise fermentation facilities, the Dutch company produces casein that is genetically identical to dairy but completely animal-free. Fooditive’s vegan casein is suitable for multiple applications, including dairy products and plant-based meats.
Moad Abushokhedim, CEO and Founder of Foodiv commented: “With the successful completion of our trial, Foodiv is on the cusp of ramping up our vegan casein production to meet the demands of our European clients.
With this enhanced manufacturing process, we are poised to expand our offerings and meet the growing demand for sustainable and affordable dairy alternatives.”
Finding partners to achieve commercialization
Because Fudative’s vegan casein is considered a novel ingredient, it must receive approval in the European Union before commercialization. To meet this goal and expand its market, the Dutch company announced that it is looking to collaborate with other companies to jointly develop a new wave of sustainable and nutritious plant-based dairy products.
“At Fooditive, we strongly believe in the transformative power of partnerships and the profound market impact they can create. With an imminent need to obtain Novel Food approval in the EU before we can move forward, we are actively looking forward to collaborating with a partner who shares our commitment to sustainability and innovation,” said Abushokhedim.
Foodiv has already created a number of vegan alternatives to what are typically animal-based ingredients. Last year, the company unveiled a vegan honey made by copying the DNA of conventional honey and using fermentation enzymes. In March, food tech venture fund Sparkalis acquired a minority stake in Foodtive, appointing Philippe Arnatt as a new member of the company’s advisory board.
In 2021, Fooditive unveiled its vegan casein, claiming it was the first available for applications in the food industry. Initially, the protein was produced from yeast, but now it is produced using a unique bacterial strain created through gene synthesis.
According to Fuditive, using bacterial strains offers several advantages, including improved scalability, efficiency, cost optimization and safety without compromising quality or taste.
Who else is making cruelty-free casein?
Other companies developing animal-free casein include:
Climax Foods: Combines artificial intelligence with a proprietary formulation process that claims to be the “first” seed-based protein that replicates the functional performance (melt and expand) of milk casein.
Zero Cow Factory: A biotechnology startup from India that produces precision fermented proteins: whey and casein. According to the company it can produce A2 beta-casein commercially
Pigmentum: This Israel-based startup produces plant-based functional casein for the new wave of animal-free dairy products. It uses plants as factories instead of microorganisms or tissues. The method removes the capex barrier to scaling precision fermentation operations but involves genetic manipulation – another challenge for food approval in the EU.
That Vegan Cowboy: A Belgian food technology producing milk-like casein obtained by microbes and proprietary precision fermentation. The company targets grass-fed microbes because agricultural products, including grass, will be ingredients in its fermentation process.
Proprotein: A woman-driven Estonian alt-dairy startup on a journey to produce cow-free protein from yeast using precision fermentation.
“By harnessing the benefits of our bacterial strains, we have solidified our position as a leading player in the plant-based food industry, dedicated to positive change and revolutionizing the way we consume and enjoy food,” commented Abushokhedim.