US – Remilk, an Israeli food-tech startup, has announced that its non-animal dairy proteins have been granted generally recognized as safe (GRAS) approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Being accorded GRAS status indicates that Remilk’s protein is considered safe for consumption in food and beverages and can be used by manufacturers to make non-animal varieties of popular consumer products such as ice cream, yogurt, and cream cheese.
With this regulatory clearance, the company now has its eyes on launching its products in the US market and hopes to have products ready for sale in the coming quarters.
Aviv Wolff, CEO, and co-founder, Remilk said:” Regulatory approval in the US is great news for the dairy product manufacturers and consumers seeking non-animal real-dairy products. We are working diligently with regulators around the world to offer Remilk products to consumers in other countries.”
Wolff added that he believes that the first regulators to adapt approval processes to alternative protein production systems will be those who benefit most from the availability of a stable, reliable supply of nutritious, affordable, sustainable foods in their countries.
The company noted that its proteins are bio-equivalent to other traditional counterparts and also dairy produced using its technology is indistinguishable in taste and function from conventional dairy.
Remilk claims its protein is identical to cow-based milk protein but produced without a single animal cell making it animal-free.
The announcement comes after a survey conducted by YouGov, a global public opinion and data company, revealed that 37% of Americans say they avoid products made with cow’s milk, with nearly 50% citing health and wellness as primary drivers, followed by environmental (33%) and animal welfare concerns.
This has put a spotlight on the need for animal-free dairy products in the market in order to cover the deficit amid the rising health and wellness concerns in dairy products.
Remilk is set to face stiff competition from other animal-free companies that have already launched their products to the US market.
Betterlands Foods in association with Perfect day launched the world’s first animal-free dairy product in whole milk and extra creamy milk, in January and has plans to start the commercialization of the products in the US in a few months’ time.
Also, last month, another food tech company, Tomorrow Farms, launched what it describes as an ‘animal-free dairy milk’ brand Bored Cow, by leveraging fermented dairy protein supplied by Perfect Day.
Both companies claim their products are lactose, gluten, and cholesterol-free, being an idle product also for people who are intolerant to these products.
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