“Literally Identical” Cow-Free Cheese Protein

A food-tech startup in Israel has created a cow-free version of casein, the protein needed to give cheese its ‘real’ dairy texture.

NewMoo (originally Imagene Foods) uses plant molecular farming (PMF) to produce a sustainable, cost-effective and vegan-friendly version of the solid dairy product.

Non-dairy cheese alternatives have been around for a long time — breakfast cereal inventor John Harvey Kellogg developed a soy-based “cheese” product back in 1937 — but even 21st century non-dairy cheeses haven’t achieved the taste, texture, aroma or melting properties of the real thing; largely because they don’t contain casein.

Meanwhile, the global cheese market has been valued at $135 billion annually and is projected to reach $220 billion by 2028; and the demand for non-dairy alternatives is growing, with 42 per cent of consumers identifying as flexitarian (largely vegetarian, with occasional lapses into meat-eating).

That’s why the ability to produce a plant-based version of casein — the holy grail of the alternative milk industry — could be a game changer.

Founded in 2021, NewMoo describes its proteins as “literally identical to animal-derived caseins,” minus the lactose and cholesterol, and is one of the first companies in the world to produce animal-free caseins.

NewMoo grows its casein source in a field using genetically engineered seeds then uses a special process to turn it into a liquid. They describe the actual process as “top secret” and won’t provide detail of the crop they use, though it is known that the concept and technology are based on research carried out at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot.

Keep reading at israel21c.org.

NewMoo Chief Science Officer Yulia Fridman-Timaner is a Technion alumna.