New Zealand to mass-produce dairy-identical proteins without using cows

WELLINGTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A New Zealand startup announced a groundbreaking technology on Thursday that produces dairy-identical proteins without cows, utilizing yeast and precision fermentation.

This cutting-edge technology has been successfully employed in various industries, including the production of enzymes and flavorings for the food sector, but researchers believe that many of the dairy proteins can be produced this way, said a statement of the Auckland-based startup Daisy Lab.

As the largest global dairy exporter, New Zealand boasts the world's leading dairy ecosystem and dairy processing expertise. However, challenges have been brought by concerning greenhouse gas emissions, as well as land and water pollution associated with dairy cow farming, Daisy Lab said.

The company, which has scaled its process to the production of prototype consumer products such as ice cream, yoghurt, and cream cheese using beta-lactoglobulin over the past year, has obtained approval from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) this week to scale its production to a total volume of up to 5,000 liters, which enables it to proceed with building the company's first pilot facility.

"Precision fermentation has the potential to offer significant savings in land use, water use, and reduction in carbon footprint," said EPA's General Manager Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Chris Hill.

As part of this approval, Daisy Lab will be required to put in place several controls, which will ensure the genetically modified yeast is contained at all times, Hill said.

Precision fermentation refers to the controlled cultivation of genetically modified microorganisms in bioreactors. The yeast is genetically modified to include the gene which codes for the desired protein. After fermentation, the proteins are harvested and purified to ensure they are free of any genetically modified organisms.

"Similar work is being undertaken internationally, and we are confident this work poses no risk to human health," Hill said.

Rob Burton of Norway's Institute for Rural and Regional Research, a collaborator in a New Zealand-based protein research project, said life-cycle assessments of precision fermented proteins suggest significant environmental benefits to using the technology, with lower greenhouse gas emissions.