Oh, patents! Recombinant dairy ice cream

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

If non-dairy ice cream is nothing new, then what about recombinant dairy ice cream?

Indeed, for various reasons, plants or nuts (e.g., soy, almond and coconut) are widely used substitutes for mammal-produced milk. Plant- or nut-based dairy substitutes are used for reasons that include allergies, the risk of pathogen-contaminated milk, ethical considerations for the prevention of animal cruelty, and environmental concerns. Environmental concerns such as, for example, the contribution of bovine methane emissions to global greenhouse gasses, and nitrate contamination of groundwater, due to dairy factory effluents. Thus, plant or nut-based dairy substitutes potentially resolve many issues. However, plant or nut-based dairy substitutes, also fail to compare with the taste of mammal-produced dairy. Additionally, plant or nut-based milk substitutes fail to perform in quite the same way as mammal milk, when it comes to making cream, cheese, yogurt, or butter, for example.  

In comes a recombinant dairy composition, using a recombinant milk protein, whose amino acid sequence is at least 98% identical to the amino acid sequence of a mammal milk protein, able to resolve the problematic situation of flavor and performance. A recombinant dairy substitute that replicates the flavor of mammal-produced dairy, minimizes the risks of foodborne pathogens, eliminates the environmental impact of dairy-factory production and associated issues of cruelty to animals, while removing risks of allergy, and providing a comparable nutritional profile.  A substitute milk protein composition that might also perform just like mammal milk in the production of varying dairy products, such as sauces, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter etc…

A recombinant dairy substitute composition, masterminded by researchers at Perfect Day Inc., a food technology company, located in Berkeley, California. A company with a business plan for partnering with dairy manufacturers, willing to use the Perfect Day Inc., recombinant milk protein for the production of dairy products. For example, you might currently get one first free pint of animal-free Brave Robot ice cream, at various supermarket locations and stores. Perfect Day Inc., also currently partners with Nick’s vegan ice cream, and Graeters Perfect Indulgence animal-free and lactose–free ice cream. In the future, you might also find a more diversified shelf of cow-milk-free (or goat-milk-free) dairy products, that includes the likes of recombinant dairy camembert, brie and chèvre cheeses, among many more favorites.  

The invention of the recombinant dairy protein, and its method of production, are recited in the US utility patent  US2021037849A1,  titled Compositions comprising a casein and methods of producing the same.

Specifically, the patent claims a substitute ice cream composition comprising a recombinant β-lactoglobulin protein and ash, with an amino-acid sequence, preferably 98% identical to the amino acid sequence of the mammal β-lactoglobulin protein, and no other milk proteins. Similarly, the patent also claims a substitute milk composition, a substitute cream composition, a substitute yogurt composition, a substitute cheese composition, a substitute frozen custard composition, a substitute cream cheese composition, a substitute buttermilk composition, a substitute butter composition, a substitute food powder composition, each comprising a recombinant β-lactoglobulin protein and ash, with an amino-acid sequence preferably 98% identical to the amino acid sequence of the mammal β-lactoglobulin protein, and no other milk proteins.

The abstract of the invention is included below, together with an image of BraveRobot Ice cream in three different flavors: Hazelnut Chocolate Chunk, A Lot of Chocolate, and Raspberry White Truffe, produced using the Perfect Day Inc, recombinant milk protein.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions including casein, and methods for making these compositions.[Abstract US2021037849A1]

 

So, how does recombinant dairy ice cream fare? Perfect Day Inc., was listed in Time Magazine's curated list  Best inventions of the year 2020. Without compromising the taste of mammal-based milk ice cream and other dairy products, recombinant milk proteins seek to contribute to a long-awaited, kinder, and more gentle future, free of cruelty to animals. Such food technologies are also urgently responsive to the impending disasters of climate change. 

References

Brave Robot IceCream - https://braverobot.co/pages/stores/

Graeters Ice cream - https://www.graeters.com/shop-online/new-perfect-indulgencetm

Nick’s vegan ice cream - https://nicks.com/collections#light-ice-cream

Perfect Day Inc. - https://perfectdayfoods.com/

Time Magazine - 100 best inventions of the year 2020 - https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2020/