You buy milk, and there it is. A bottle of white stuff in the perfect shape to collect and put in your basket. But wait. Its label boldly proclaims “COW FREE”. You know there are dairy-free milks like soy milk, almond milk, and even hemp milk, just to name a few. But a label proclaiming “COW FREE”? What is it about?
As a start-up, Israel-based food and beverage company Strauss Group is preparing to bring its cow-free milk and cream cheese to retail markets in Israel this month. To do this, they are partnering with Imagindairy, a company specializing in dairy-free products.
The companies describe this as a “historic step in bringing animal-free dairy products to market.”
“A turning point in the food industry,” said Barak Weinstein, director of Strauss Neo.
As for the science behind it, Imagindairy’s whey protein, used to make cow-free milk, is made from microbes using precision fermentation, a process similar to making wine and beer in a bioreactor. The microbes are fed water, sugar, minerals and vitamins to produce whey.
In contrast, instead of feeding cows, this new approach will involve feeding microorganisms that scientists say are up to 20 times more efficient than a cow’s system at turning food (hay and grain, for example) into human food.
Whey protein, the same as cow’s milk protein, is made using biotechnology and AI to duplicate the DNA of cow’s protein. The end result is beta-lactoglobulin, a “next generation” whey protein that contains no lactose, cholesterol or hormones, and contains a higher content of essential amino acids. However, because the protein is structurally identical to milk protein, the company’s NoCow products are not suitable for people with milk protein allergies.
Already, some startups using this type of science have obtained a “no questions asked letter” from the Food and Drug Administration for animal-free beta-lactoglobulin.
Researchers involved in precision fermentation say food safety is not an issue if standard food safety practices are followed. They emphasize that the process is carried out in sterile laboratories under strict supervision, without blood or intestines.
“These are dairy products prepared differently,” Imagindairy’s website says.
Simply put, this is what some would call “lab milk.”
Developers say this advancement can give us a “cow-free future” by connecting technological innovation and culinary excellence, which, in turn, creates new choices for consumers, some of whom cannot tolerate lactose and others who are vegan, as well as those who are concerned about the humane treatment of cows and the environmental impact of the dairy industry.
It also allows Jews who follow kosher standards, which prohibit eating meat and dairy products in the same meal, to enjoy things such as ice cream or cappuccino with a meal.
As for the environment, the average American consumes 655 pounds of dairy products per year, which is equivalent to 9.4 million cows. That’s a lot of water, both for growing the hay and grain the cows eat and for the water the cows drink.
For example, a lactating dairy cow drinks approximately 30 to 50 gallons of water each day. During periods of heat stress, water consumption can double.
Several consumers when asked about their reaction to this new approach to dairy said they would be willing to try it. Some see it as a change in progress.
“Things are changing,” said Beverly Anderson of Anacortes, Wash. “I would definitely try it. But it has to pass the taste test. And it has to pass the budget test.”
Another consumer, Tom (last name withheld), 100, also of Anacortes, said he would not be interested in drinking milk. But he also said he’s seen a lot of change in his 100 years on the planet, and given that the world’s population is increasing and available agricultural land is decreasing, it’s something “we’ll probably see more of.”
Another consumer, Tom Kennedy of Ferndale, Wash., agreed, saying this future prospect is probably true.
“The new generation might approve of something like that,” he said, “but I wouldn’t drink it. I like natural, organic foods.”
A company that tracks sales of various foods says consumer confusion about it and product pricing could initially lead to lower sales. The price of the products is not yet available.
And now ?
This type of new technology has the potential to usher in a host of significant changes in agriculture – changes that were not anticipated by most people and policymakers just five years ago, according to independent think tank ReThinkx, which analyzes and forecasts the scope, speed and scale of technology-induced disruption and their implications in society.
“We are on the cusp of the deepest, fastest, and most significant disruption to food and agricultural production since the first domestication of plants and animals ten thousand years ago,” reads the summary of a ReThinkx report.
“The impact of this disruption on factory farming will be profound.
“By 2030, the number of cows in the United States will have fallen by 50 percent and the cattle industry will be virtually bankrupt. All other livestock industries will suffer a similar fate, while the impacts on farmers and businesses throughout the value chain will be severe.”
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