You buy milk and there it is. A perfectly shaped bottle of white stuff that you can pick up and put in your cart. But wait. The label boldly says: “COW FREE.” You know there are dairy-free milks like soy milk, almond milk, and even hemp milk, just to name a few. But a label that says “COW FREE”? What is it?
Food and beverage company based in Israel. Strauss Group is preparing to launch its cow's milk-free milk and cream cheese into Israeli retail markets this month. To do this, they are joining forces with Imagindairy, a company specializing in dairy-free products.
The companies describe it as “a historic step in bringing animal-free dairy products to market.”
“A turning point in the food industry,” said Barack Weinstein, head of Strauss Neo.
As for the science behind it, Imagindairy's whey protein, which is used to make cow's milk, is made from microbes using precision fermentation, a process similar to the production of wine and beer in a bioreactor. The microbes receive water, sugar, minerals and vitamins to produce serum.
Instead of feeding cows, this new approach would involve feeding microorganisms that scientists say are 20 times more efficient than the cow system at converting feed – such as hay and grain – into human food.
Whey protein, identical to cow's milk protein, is produced using biotechnology and artificial intelligence to duplicate the DNA of cow's protein. The end result is beta-lactoglobulin, a “next generation” whey protein that is free of lactose, cholesterol and hormones and contains higher levels of essential amino acids. However, because the protein is structurally identical to milk protein, NoCow products are not suitable for people with milk protein allergies.
Some start-up companies using this type of science have already received a “no questions asked” letter from the Food and Drug Administration for animal-free beta-lactoglobulin.
Precision fermentation researchers say food safety is not an issue as long as standard food safety practices are followed. They note that the process is carried out in sterile laboratories under strict control, without the use of blood and guts.
“These are dairy products prepared differently,” says an Imagindairy spokesperson. website.
Simply put, this is what some call “lab milk.”
Developers say the advance could give us a “cow-free future” by combining technological innovation and culinary excellence, which in turn creates new choices for consumers, some of whom are lactose intolerant and others vegan, as well as those concerned about the humane treatment of cows and the environmental impact of the dairy industry.
Additionally, it allows Jews who follow kosher standards, which prohibit eating meat and dairy products in the same meal, to enjoy things like ice cream or cappuccino coffee with their meals.
In terms of the environment, the average American consumes 655 pounds of dairy products per year, which equates to 9.4 million cows. This means a lot of water, both for growing the hay and grain that the cows eat, and for the water that the cows drink.
For example, a dairy cow drinks 30 to 50 gallons of water every day. During periods of heat stress, water consumption may double.
Several consumers, asked about their reaction to the new approach to dairy products, said they were willing to try it. Some see this as a change coming.
“Things are changing,” said Beverly Anderson of Anacortes, Wash. “I definitely want to try it. But it has to pass the taste test. And it has to pass the budget test.”
Another consumer, Tom (last name not given),100, also from Anacortes, said he was not interested in drinking milk. But he also said he's seen a lot of change in his 100 years on the planet, and with the world's population growing and available farmland shrinking, “we're likely to see even more.”
Another consumer, Tom Kennedy of Ferndale, Washington, agreed, saying that future outlook is likely correct.
“The new generation might approve of something like this,” he said, “but I wouldn't drink it. I like natural and organic products.”
The company, which tracks sales of various food products, says consumer confusion about it and the price of the products may initially lead to lower sales. The price of the products is not yet known.
So what now?
According to ReThinkx, an independent think tank that analyzes and forecasts the scale, speed and scope of technological change and its implications for society, such new technologies could lead to many significant changes in agriculture – changes that were not foreseen by most people and policy makers even just five years ago.
“We are on the cusp of the most profound, rapid, and most dramatic change in food and agricultural production since the first domestication of plants and animals ten thousand years ago,” ReThinkx said in a summary of the report.
“The impact of this disruption on factory farming will be profound.
“By 2030, the U.S. cow population will fall by 50 percent, leaving the livestock industry virtually bankrupt. Every other livestock industry will suffer the same fate, while the spillover effects on farmers and businesses throughout the value chain will be severe.”
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