Israeli start-up Imagindairy Ltd. has begun creating true milk proteins that are indistinguishable from the real thing via a natural process of precision fermentation. The result is dairy products without the animal welfare or environmental issues of cows.
The proprietary technology re-creates nature-identical, animal-free versions of whey and casein proteins that can be used to produce dairy analogues. They have the flavor and texture – and, importantly, the functionality and nutritional value – of their animal-based counterparts, the company says.
They also are free of lactose, cholesterol and bioengineered ingredients; but they containi the same complement of nutrients, from protein content to mineral composition, including calcium.
“Our microflora-based production method was inspired by nature to recreate these proteins,” explains Eyal Afergan, co-founder and CEO of Imagindairy. Its technology is based on 15 years of research by Tamir Tuller, PhD, a professor at Tel Aviv University and Imagindairy’s co-founder and CSO.
