Cheese alternatives may soon be able to mimic dairy cheese almost exactly — and with no cows involved from start to finish, the Guardian reported.
The breakthrough may mean huge growth for brands using plant-based cheese, which could satisfy customers in a new way.
It's possible thanks to DairyX, an Israeli lab working on improving dairy products. As the Guardian explains, the company uses a yeast fermentation process to make casein, a protein. It's the essential building block of cheese and yogurt, responsible for their beloved stretchy or creamy textures.
To date, plant-based dairy attempts used all sorts of additives to try to replicate this property. DairyX has cut straight to the chase and engineered yeast to end up with a protein that is genetically identical to the natural dairy version of the protein.
The lab's team has not yet tasted the product — regulatory approval is needed first — but they believe it could be used by cheese and yogurt brands as a 1-for-1 replacement for dairy milk as soon as 2027. They told the Guardian their goal is to keep the cost similar to dairy protein, while also ensuring the product tastes good.
Both will be crucial for DairyX to maintain competitiveness, as other companies around the globe are attempting to solve the same issue.
Dr. Arik Ryvkin, DairyX founder and chief executive, was vegan for a decade but gave it up because cheese alternatives didn't cut it.
"So I slipped, and then decided to solve the problem for everyone," Ryvkin told the outlet.
"People have been trying to take the cow out of making dairy since the late 1970s," he added, "We now bring the last step in that line of evolution."
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Cattle are also a major source of pollution due to the harmful gas they burp up. The dairy industry is not particularly kind to them, either. That means a product like DairyX, which could decrease the need for mass cattle farming, is not just a win for dairy-free dieters — it's good for cows and the planet, too.
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