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Belgian food tech company Those Vegan Cowboys has launched an animal-free casein made with precision fermentation that is said to make vegan cheese stretch and melt like dairy cheese.
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Casein is the main protein found in milk from cows. It’s a big part of what gives dairy cheese its taste, texture, and consistency when melted. Those Vegan Cowboys makes it by fermenting microbes in a stainless steel tank named Margaret (after the former British Prime Minister known as the Iron Lady). It plans to launch its own cheese using the casein next year, as well as collaborate with other companies.
According to Those Vegan Cowboys, its fermentation method is five times more efficient than cows on water and land use and greenhouse gas emissions. It says that its cow-free casein “paves the way for healthier cheese” free of lactose, bad cholesterol, and saturated fats. Cheese made with its casein is reportedly five times more stretchy than that made with casein from cows.
A growing market
Many plant-based dairy companies have become interested in animal-free casein as they seek to make their products more closely replicate dairy. In 2023, companies including vegan cheesemaker Climax Foods and biotech company Pureture each announced they had created vegan casein. Just last week, plant-based brand DairyX revealed it has successfully made casein from precision fermentation.
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Regulatory approval is still needed for most of the new caseins to come to market. In Europe, the casein made by Those Vegan Cowboys counts as a novel food and must go through an approval process. Vegan cheese company New Culture was the first to gain regulatory approval in February when it attained GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status from the US Food and Drug Administration.
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