More than 70% of consumers would be willing to try animal-free dairy products, such as cheese, according to the first large-scale survey of consumer acceptance of these products (1). The study was conducted by biotech food company Formo and researchers at the University of Bath, UK.
German food biotech company Formo is on a mission to bring the next generation of sustainable and healthy dairy products to the market. They specialise in precision fermentation, which allows specific proteins to be synthesised by microorganisms. The principle behind this technology is simple: give a copy of cow DNA to microorganisms, and let them do the rest to produce milk proteins. In a way, this is similar to the process used to make beer, but instead of alcohol, microorganisms focus on milk proteins.
When enough protein is produced, it’s then combined with plant-based fats, carbohydrates and salt to create the basis for the final cheese recipe. Like in the traditional way, this mixture is then allowed to ferment to produce a curd, which can be sold as fresh cheese or ripened to create stronger flavours. Overall, this is more efficient than using actual animals to make the same proteins and avoids the negative impact of large scale animal agriculture.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: European Scientist
