Real dairy proteins. minus the cows: Industry-funded consumer study shows openness to animal-free cheese
The Formo team (picture credit: Formo) A global consumer study funded by ‘animal-free’ dairy startup Formo (previously LegenDairy) suggests consumers are surprisingly open to trying and buying cheese featuring dairy proteins made via microbes instead of cows after reading a detailed description of the technology. However, the authors acknowledge it’s hard to predict how shoppers will respond to such products in real-world settings.
While it s been around for a while, plant-based cheese has only captured a tiny fraction of the market because products still don t deliver for many consumers, who would like to make more sustainable or ethical choices, but aren’t willing to compromise on taste or performance, claim players in the emerging animal-free dairy segment.
LegenDairy Foods is rebranding as Formo, a consumer-facing brand positioned at the forefront of cultivated dairy. The German start-up, which uses precision fermentation to produce milk protein without the cow, is aiming to launch commercially by 2023.
Berlin-based Formo – formerly LegenDairy – is a cultivated dairy company that uses microorganisms instead of cows to produce animal-free milk proteins.
The process sees selected microorganisms encoded with milk protein DNA sequences. These cells are then grown in a fermenter until enough protein has been produced to harvest. Next, the milk proteins are combined with plant-based fats and carbohydrates to create a base for the cheesemaking process.