New Culture Announces Self-GRAS for Animal-free Casein, World's First Cleared for Commercial Sale

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Feb 13, 2024, 08:56 ET

Regulatory Status Begins to Unlock $1T Global Dairy Market

SAN LEANDRO, Calif., Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's first casein protein made without any animal inputs has been determined safe for consumption. New Culture, the animal-free dairy company, has self-affirmed that its animal-free casein is Generally Recognized as Safe ("GRAS") following a recent review by an independent panel of qualified scientific and toxicology experts. The company's self-GRAS determination means its casein can be sold, used, and consumed in the U.S. like any other food ingredient.

New Culture self-affirms "GRAS" status for animal-free casein, determined safe for consumption

This GRAS status is the result of New Culture casein matching the identity and macro-nutritional profile of the cow casein it replaces and being made from a manufacturing process that is reproducible, industry-standard, and food safe. This proven manufacturing process, precision fermentation, has been used for decades to make food ingredients and pharmaceuticals cost effectively, sustainably and animal-free. New Culture intends to notify FDA of its self-GRAS determination in the near future.

Casein is what enables milk to be transformed into cheese, yogurt, whipped cream, confections, and countless other dairy products that comprise the $1T global dairy industry. New Culture's animal-free casein offers all the taste, texture, and functionality consumers expect from conventional dairy. However, products with New Culture casein are also free from lactose, cholesterol, and trace hormones and antibiotics, as well as dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and land and water use.

Thanks to its casein, New Culture's first product - mozzarella for pizzerias - melts, stretches, bubbles and browns just like conventional cheese and has the authentic mouthfeel and texture that plant-based options lack. The company continues to scale its manufacturing capacity in preparation for the first sale of its cheese later this year, beginning at Nancy Silverton's acclaimed Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles.

"Having secured another 'world's first' for our animal-free casein is a testament to the hard working and innovative team we have at New Culture," said Inja Radman, co-founder and CSO. "Achieving GRAS status proves that animal inputs aren't needed to produce casein protein and marks an essential step on our path toward commercialization."

Casein is distinct from the other category of dairy protein - whey - in that casein is necessary to make cheese whereas whey is an unused byproduct of the cheesemaking process. The unique structural properties of casein also make it significantly more challenging to produce animal-free than whey. With its singular focus on casein, New Culture has tackled these challenges which, along with its GRAS designation, highlight the company's industry leadership in the transition to an animal-free dairy future.

To learn more about New Culture visit www.newculture.com.

About New Culture
New Culture is leading the global transition to an animal-free dairy future with cheese that stretches and melts like the real deal but is made without any animal inputs. In other words: cow cheese without the cow. They replace the essential dairy protein in cheese – called casein – with an animal-free version that the company produces using precision fermentation. This revolutionary process makes it possible to replicate the taste and texture of traditional dairy products using New Culture's animal-free proteins, radically reducing cheesemaking's impact on the environment and animal and human health. The company was selected for Fast Company's 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards, profiled on NPR's award-winning podcast "How I Built This," and included on the 2023 ClimateTech 100 and 2023 FoodTech 500 lists. It has financial backing from some of the world's largest fermentation and food companies including Kraft Heinz, ADM and CJ, alongside leading food-tech investors. With their groundbreaking science, any cheese is possible and can be made completely animal-free. The future of dairy is here — and it's delicious. For more information and to sign up, visit www.newculture.com.

SOURCE New Culture