What Is Nestlé Cooking Up With Perfect Day’s Precision Fermentation Whey?

Nestlé announced earlier this week that it is preparing to launch new dairy milk alternative using Perfect Day’s animal-free precision fermentation whey. The announcement builds on the multinational food giant’s recent investments into plant-based meat and dairy products.

Nestlé said in a statement that it’s piloting a “novel” product through its new research and development accelerator program. The chocolate and plain milk products are expected to launch in U.S. stores later this year.

“As the world’s largest food and beverage company, delivering foods and beverages that are good for people and the planet is a priority,” Heike Steiling, Head of Nestlé’s Development Center for dairy products said in a statement.

“We are exploring emerging technologies that can lead to animal-friendly alternatives that are nutritious and sustainable, without compromising on taste, flavor, and texture. Bringing together our unmatched R&D expertise, innovation capabilities and scale, we are working to develop and test novel animal-free dairy protein-based products to complement our wide-ranging portfolio of plant-based alternatives.,” Steiling said.

Perfect Day’s precision fermentation technology creates a dairy-identical whey without the need for raising cows. The company says its milk protein produces up to 97 percent fewer carbon emissions than traditional milk products. Animal agriculture is a leading cause of global warming accounting for nearly 15 percent of all annual emissions.

Nestlé says it developed the product in Switzerland with its R&D team. The company says it’s “well-equipped” to deliver relevant consumer solutions in this emerging space. Most recently, Nestlé’s vegan KitKat bar expanded its placement across more than a dozen countries. The food giant also owns well-known vegan food brands Garden Gourmet and Sweet Earth, among other plant-based offerings.

“We are excited to pilot Nestlé’s first animal-free dairy protein-based products through our U.S. R+D Accelerator,” said Joanna Yarbrough, head of the R+D Accelerator. “While this category is still very young, we know consumers are looking for products that have a reduced environmental footprint, and we are evaluating this avenue as a future growth opportunity for our business.”

Dairy products remain an important part of Nestlé’s portfolio, providing essential nutrients,
especially for young children,” and contributing to the economic livelihoods of farmers globally. “Therefore, Nestlé continues to explore solutions and technologies to make dairy more climate-friendly,” the company said.

Perfect Day has gone all-in on its high-profile partnership strategy in recent years. Earlier this year it partnered with confectionery brand Mars on a vegan chocolate bar. Last year its whey appeared in the General Mills vegan cream cheese brand Bold Cultr. It has also partnered with a number of other manufacturers including ice cream brands Brave Robot and Cool Haus.

Lead image courtesy of Perfect Day.