AWARD YEAR
2023
CATEGORY
Body
GOALS
No Poverty, Climate Action, Life On Land
KEYWORDS
Dairy alternatives, Milk, lab grown, Animal welfare, Reducing CO2 Emissions
COUNTRY
United States of America
DESIGNED BY
Brown Foods
WEBSITE
https://www.fastcompany.com/90743975/this-startup-is-milking-cow-cells-in-lab-for-animal-free-dairy
UnReal Milk
Milking cow-cells for animal-free dairy
How does it work?
UnReal Milk cultivates mammary cells from cows and have succeeded in finding the perfect conditions to get those cells to produce real cow milk without an animal.
Why is it needed?
"Alternative-dairy sales keep growing: In 2020, according to the most recent data available, sales of oat, soy, almond, and other alt-milk products made up 15% of all milk sales in the U.S., a 27% growth over the previous two years.
Still, plant-based milk still can’t replicate traditional dairy. “They’re not yet there in terms of taste and texture,” says Sohail Gupta, CEO and Co-Founder of Brown Foods. They also often have less protein and other nutrients. He argues that other new milk alternatives, including those that use precision fermentation to make animal-free dairy proteins, also can’t perfectly match dairy since they still use plant ingredients for fat and other components" (Fast Company).
How does it improve life?
"The startup plans to make both milk and other dairy products like cheese and butter. The same process could be used to make other types of milk, from goat milk to human breast milk" (Fast Company).