US based biotechnology company, Pureture, has reduced the cultivation time needed to create its yeast protein by up to 30 per cent, allowing time and cost savings for the production of its plant-based alternative casein.
Casein comprises around 80 per cent of the proteins in dairy milk, and its emulsifying effect makes it essential in other dairy products, such as cheese. The 2023 global casein market clocked in at $4 billion, with an outlook to expand further from its usage in cosmetics and personal care industries, as well as food and beverage.
There are a number of companies working on innovating alternative dairy products, as it is currently difficult to replicate the sensory and nutritional experiences derived from milk proteins. Some companies, such as Israel-based NewMoo, are using plant molecular farming to grow casein proteins from plant seeds.
Pureture is the latest in this space, a US company that is using biotechnology to develop an emulsifying function for plant-based proteins.
Pureture was founded by Rudy Yoo in 2022, a global expansion of Armored Fresh Technologies, out of South Korea. Inspired by the possibility of enjoying dairy products without any cows on Mars, Pureture states that its vision is to create sustainable plant-based proteins that can seamlessly replace dairy proteins.
In August 2023, the company brought its plant-based casein to market, and in January 2024, announced a partnership with South Korea’s third largest dairy producer, Namyang Dairy Products.
Pureture’s most recent success has been in refining its method and technology, to the point that it can create the yeast protein base of its alternative casein up to 30 per cent faster. The new technology also reduces the foam formation of its yeast cultivation, a challenge in the industry that often requires antifoaming additives.
The company says that this cleaner, more efficient production method aligns with the growing consumer demand for Clean-Label products—foods that are free from unnecessary additives and artificial ingredients.
