Starbucks is reportedly testing an alternative milk product made by precision fermentation. The coffee giant is trialling California-based Perfect Day’s “animal-free” fungi-based plant milk at locations in Seattle.

This is according to Green Queen, who claims the outlet is running a two-store trail.

Starbucks alternative milk

Food tech start-up Perfect Day makes its milk from cow genes, using a swab. Then, it develops the alternative milk using fungi and fermentation tanks to recreate milk proteins casein and whey.

While the process is dubbed to be “non-invasive,” many vegans stray away from consuming products made this way as it still involves using animals.

And while companies using precision fermentation do take swabs from animals, for Perfect Day the process is actually “ever easier.” And that’s because it claims to use gene swabs from a digitally published scientific database.

Since its launch over a year ago, the company secured a staggering $300 million investment and has even moved into cell-cultured ice cream.

Working with Starbucks comes after the chain rolled out oat milk in the US following similar successful test trials.

‘Animal-free’ milk

The launch follows notable progress in the precision fermentation dairy market. For example, Imagindairy announced an enormously successful investment round this week.

The company secured $13 million in its seed round.

“The market is eager to develop new dairy analogs based on our animal-free proteins,” says CEO Eyal Afergan.

And, the company is eager for consumers to soon discover the benefits of its “real milk no cows” products across future expansion.

This article was updated on November 24 to update information about Perfect Day’s practices