The technique used is precision fermentation, already used by some companies, which allows to obtain a creamy consistency like the original. The investment costs are high but in a few years the product could be cheaper than cow’s milk
It has nothing to do with vegetable drinks that are becoming popular: in a few years the synthetic milk product without cows or other animals. It may seem like a contradiction, but research is also going in this direction to meet the needs of those who want athe more sustainable alternative to cow’s milkconcerned, for example, about methane emissions from cows or the welfare of animals.
How do you get it
In fact, synthetic milk already exists. In the United States, for example, a company suppliesand proteins free of animal origin derived from microorganisms to produce ice cream, protein powder and milk. Another in Israel sells a mozzarella-like cheese made in the same way. In Australia, a company intends to bring synthetic milk to Australian shelves by mid-2023. The technique behind this production is precision fermentation. As reported by Milena Bojovic, PhD Candidate at Macquarie University on The Conversationthe process begins with the yeast and through the precision fermentation the same proteins found in cow’s milk are produced. This would be the key to obtaining the creamy consistency and capacity make foam, just like “the original”. Minerals, sugars, fats and aromas are then added to the protein base to reach the final product. The milk proteins that are created by yeast, whose genome has been modified for this purpose, are caseins, he points out Milena Brasca, researcher at the Institute of Food Production Sciences of the Cnr. Precision fermentation is a road that makes sense in this moment in which alternatives to products of animal origin are sought and the microorganisms used are very efficient in their transformations. However, there are still many obstacles to overcome, first of all that of high costs.
A market in turmoil
According to a 2019 report on the future of the dairy sector by the independent think tank RethinkXthe emerging US precision fermentation industry will create at least 700,000 jobs by 2030 and up to one million by 2035. The market is generating a lot of interest when you consider that another Australian company has now raised $ 25 million. to accelerate the production of synthetic milk and aim, within seven years, to offer a cheaper product than cow’s milk.
Obstacle course
There are many challenges and pitfalls to face in order to become a viable alternative to milk of animal origin: from public appreciation to investments in research and development, from new production infrastructures such as fermentation tanks and bioreactors to the response of the dairy sector. traditional dairy. In Italy, the consumption of milk, according to Assolatte, is 43 liters per capita / year.
September 4, 2022 (change September 4, 2022 | 08:37)
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