The World’s Largest Mozzarella Producer Bags Global Rights for Fooditive’s Animal-Free Casein

US cheese giant Leprino Foods has signed an exclusive licensing agreement to commercialise the precision-fermented casein produced by Dutch startup Fooditive Group.

Leprino Foods, the world’s largest mozzarella manufacturer, has partnered with Dutch food tech startup Fooditive Group to commercialise the latter’s animal-free casein.

The deal will see Leprino Foods get exclusive worldwide rights to produce and sell Fooditive’s precision-fermented dairy protein for use in cheese, as well as a non-exclusive global licence for other food applications, including beverages, yoghurts, desserts, creamers, snack bars, and sports nutrition products.

Leprino Foods supplies 85% of the pizza market’s cheese. If you’ve ever dined at Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Little Ceasars or Papa John’s, you’ve eaten its cheese. The Colorado-based company is also a leading supplier of lactose, whey protein, micellar casein and sweet whey – but this marks its first move into alternative dairy.

“This agreement with Fooditive highlights our ability to innovate and adapt swiftly to emerging trends and technologies. By incorporating precision fermentation alongside our conventional dairy production, we will explore how this non-animal casein derived from fermentation will add to our product portfolio,” said Leprino Foods president Mike Durkin.

Fooditive capable of making all four casein proteins

Founded in 2022, Fooditive is among a number of startups working on animal-free casein, whether that’s through plant-based ingredients, precision fermentation or molecular farming. New Culture, Change Foods, Fermify, Zero Cow Factory, Standing Ovation, Alpine Bio, Finally Foods, NewMoo and Pureture are all innovating in this space.

It uses proprietary E. coli strains to make casein through precision fermentation, with a process that promises high productivity and yield.

Casein proteins – which make up 80% of the protein content found in milk – are considered the “holy grail” of milk protein structure. They’re responsible for emulsification, preventing water and fat from separating and giving cheeses their melty and stretchy properties. The ingredient can be used to make superior non-dairy products like cheese, milk and yoghurt analogues, as well as protein shakes.

There are four types of casein proteins in milk. These fold into a spherical structure known as a micelle – here, they’re suspended in a highly hydrated solution and bound together with minerals like calcium. While most animal-free casein producers focus on one of these bovine proteins, Fooditive’s tech can produce all four.

Doing so is “crucial to replicate the functional and nutritional properties found in traditional dairy casein, ensuring our products deliver the same high quality and performance that consumers and manufacturers expect”, Fooditive CEO Moayad Abushokhedim told AgFunderNews.

“This collaboration not only underscores our commitment to sustainability and showcases the incredible potential of our precision fermentation technology but also our commitment to partnerships,” he said.

Leprino Foods joins other big brands betting on precision fermentation

Since Fooditive’s casein is produced via precision fermentation, it will need to pass regulatory barriers before it can sell any products using the protein. So far, only New Culture has obtained self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) in the US.

Abushokhedim confirmed that Fooditive planned to submit a self-determined GRAS dossier to the US Food and Drug Administration in Q4 this year.

“This innovation not only can enhance our range, but also holds the promise of reducing the environmental footprint across the supply chain, all while maintaining the highest standards of product functionality, quality, taste and texture,” said Leprino Foods’ Durkin.

“Our intent is to produce animal-free casein in volumes that exceed hundreds of thousands of tons over the coming years. We will begin to scale up in the tens of thousands of tons in the coming year and expand as the market demand dictates at one of our US plant locations,” he told AgFunderNews

More and more food companies are recognising the need for planet-friendly alternatives to dairy. Nestlé, the world’s largest food business, debuted its Orgain protein powder made from precision-fermented whey in February. The same month, fellow CPG giant Unilever teamed up with category leader Perfect Day to use its animal-free whey in a lactose-free ice cream for its Breyers brand.

An independent life-cycle assessment (LCA) by Standing Ovation suggests that animal-free casein generates up to 94% fewer greenhouse gas emissions (although the LCA was done at pilot scale, and an industrial-scale analysis would provide a more rounded picture).