Stretchable Cow-Free Cheese Is Now Closer Than Ever

An Israeli company may be one step closer to delivering solid food: cow-free cheese that stretches like the real thing. DairyX claims to have successfully developed a new method using fermented yeast to produce the specially structured casein proteins that give dairy products their elasticity.

Food companies and their scientists are getting better at making plant-based products that can match the taste of animal-based foods, such as Impossible Foods’ plant-based meat used in Impossible Burgers (goes well on the Burger King Whopper, FYI). That said, plant-based cheeses still have a long way to go when it comes to matching their dairy-based counterparts, especially when it comes to the stretchy consistency seen in foods like pizza. While some companies are working to develop the right combination of plant-based ingredients and additives to mimic this feature, others like DairyX are instead hoping to mass-produce key components of milk but without the need for cows themselves.

“People have been trying to get the cow out of milk production since the late 1970s,” Arik Ryvkin, founder and CEO of DairyX, told the Guardian. “Now we’ve brought the final step in that evolution … to help dairy companies create the exact products consumers want while helping cows live happier lives.”

An innovation called DairyX relies on well-fermented strains of yeast that produce casein proteins that are functionally similar to those found in cow’s milk. In addition, the company claims to have found a way to induce casein proteins to organize themselves into ball-shaped structures called micelles that are responsible for the cheese’s elasticity. DairyX researchers were reportedly able to confirm their success by successfully synthesizing their casein using the same method as traditional dairy products.

In a press release, the company outlined several key steps. Along with engineering yeast to produce functional caseins, the team used machine learning and a rapid screening process to identify high-protein yeast strains and optimize fermentation. It also successfully forms a gel from conjugated casein micelles, which accelerates the development of functional micelles for use in food products.

Other companies are currently working to develop and market their casein and dairy products using precision yeast fermentation or other methods. And DairyX has yet to test the actual taste of its product as it awaits regulatory approval. But the company believes that its micelle synthesis method will give its competitors a leg up, and has the idea of ​​selling dried casein micelles to cheese, yogurt, and other dairy manufacturers, allowing them to create more sustainable products without minor changes. their existing production processes. The company plans to ramp up operations and secure regulatory approval to begin making its product available to the public in 2027.

Time will tell how any of these efforts will go. But given the urgent need to reduce our greenhouse emissions, to which dairy cows contribute the most, successfully making guilt-free cheese and other dairy products would be an important step forward.