Nestlé has announced it will be exploring emerging technologies for the development of animal-free dairy protein-based products.
The protein, created with animal-free protein from Perfect Day, is made through precision fermentation, and is identical to the whey protein found in cow’s milk, offering good nutritional and functionality benefits that is suitable for vegans and is lactose-free.
Heike Steiling, Head of Nestlé’s Development Centre for dairy products, said the company is exploring emerging technologies that can lead to animal-friendly alternatives that are nutritious and sustainable, without compromising on taste, flavour, and texture.
“Bringing together our unmatched research and development (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.”
Joanna Yarbrough, Head of the newly created US R&D Accelerator, said they are excited to pilot Nestlé’s first animal-free dairy protein-based products when they bring it to the US market as a test-and-learn later this year.
“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 and provide essential nutrients, especially for young children, while milk production contributes to the economic livelihoods of farmers globally. Therefore, Nestlé continues to explore solutions and technologies to make dairy more climate friendly.
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