Fooditive prospects new partnerships in endeavor to gain novel food status for vegan casein

27 Jun 2023 --- Fooditive is seeking prospective partners to help bring its non-animal casein to the European market after successfully demonstrating the feasibility of production at an industrial scale.

Produced from a proprietary bacterial strain using precision fermentation, the company’s vegan casein is genetically identical to dairy casein but completely animal-free and kinder to the planet, flags the company.

“As our trials reach a successful completion, Fooditive stands on the cusp of scaling up production of our vegan casein to cater to the needs of our European clientele. But our vision extends beyond mere production,” says Moayad Abushokhedim, Fooditive CEO and founder.

“We firmly believe in the transformative power of partnerships and the profound market impact they can foster. With an imminent need to acquire Novel Food approval in the EU before we proceed, we are actively seeking an alliance with a partner who shares our commitment to sustainability and innovation.”

Produced from a proprietary bacterial strain using precision fermentation, vegan casein is genetically identical to dairy casein (Image credit: Fooditive).With manufacturing trials now complete, Fooditive announced it is in a position to begin production of vegan casein at higher volumes to supply customers in Europe.

However, prior to this, obtaining approval as a Novel Food in the EU is required, and Fooditive is hoping to collaborate with a like-minded partner to navigate this process.

“On this journey, we are not just navigating regulatory processes, but also reinforcing our belief in collaborative growth and shared success,” remarks Abushokhedim.

Optimizing alt-dairy
Development of Fooditive’s non-animal casein began in 2019. Initially, it was produced from a yeast, but is now made using a unique bacterial strain developed by Fooditive through gene synthesis. 

This offers a number of advantages, highlights the company, including improved scalability, efficiency, cost optimization and safety, “with no compromise on quality or taste.”

As well as being suited for plant-based dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, the non-animal casein is ideal for use in vegan meat applications to provide a moist and pleasant mouthfeel.

“By leveraging the advantages of our bacterial strain, we have further solidified our position as a leading player in the plant-based food industry, dedicated to driving positive change and revolutionizing the way we consume and enjoy food,” comments Abushokhedim.

“Fooditive is not just hopeful, but enthusiastic to embark on this journey with a like-minded partner, to unlock new possibilities and to redefine the vegan casein market together,” he concludes.

Clean casein
Casein is responsible for desirable properties in dairy products, such as cheese pull and stretch. As conscious dairy consumption continues to shape industry, solutions to switch out or improve on casein’s sustainable sourcing processes have been driven forward.

Climax Foods recently introduced a plant-based ingredient that authentically replicates the melt and stretch of the dairy protein casein, discovered using AI.

Last year, dairy giant Bel Group partnered with Standing Ovation to incorporate dairy-free casein protein in its alternative cheese offerings, with statements that its proprietary production process for this ingredient has “proved to scale easily.”

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer