DairyX Foods has crafted a precision fermentation process to allow it to create authentic milk proteins without cows.
The startup has developed a method to produce casein proteins that are capable of self-assembly.
These proteins can then be used to create the foundations of dairy products, such as cheese and yoghurt.
To further the texture of the animal-free dairy product, DairyX has created technology to boost the gelation of these casein proteins — allowing food manufacturers to produce firm, stretchy and creamy products.
In the process, DairyX uses yest to produce smart casein proteins, explains DairyX's Head of Product Development and Downstream Processing, Maya Bar-Zeev: "Not all caseins produced using precision fermentation are alike."
"To get the most out of our casein proteins in terms of texture, we trained yeast to produce the next generation of casein, which can precisely and effectively organise into micelles."
CEO and founder of DairyX, Arik Ryvkin, added: “The industry knows quite well that caseins are extremely hard to produce using precision fermentation, so our initial goal was to solve this problem. Once we successfully crafted casein proteins through this method, the next major challenge was to upgrade caseins so they could self-assemble into gelating micelles to produce the dairy properties manufacturers are seeking.”
A majority of animal-free dairy products on the market use stabilisers, thickeners and emulsifiers to replicate the texture of milk, though these don't perform as well as traditional cow's milk, and are often associated with unpleasant aftertastes.
Therefore, DairyX believes its solution will address the taste issues associated with animal-free dairy products, while keeping the price low.
“Recreating casein protein micelles from yeast is an important milestone, so we are now currently focused on scaling up our fermentation process and collaborating with dairy companies." Concludes Ryvkin.