Groundbreaking Startup Makes Animal-Free Dairy, Raises $300 Million
As the pandemic continues to highlight how fragile our food system is, investors are rushing to support innovative and reliable vegan dairy.
Credit: Perfect Day
A Silicon Valley startup has raised $300 million in funding to continue its development of an innovative animal-free dairy.
The dairy pioneered by Perfect Day is set to revolutionize the food industry by making dairy-identical products without having to rely on cows.
Instead of using cows to produce the casein and whey proteins historically found in milk, the company uses ‘dairy microflora’ (a term for tiny organisms like yeast and fungi) which goes through a fermentation process to create these very same proteins.
As a result, Perfect Day can produce dairy-identical products including ice cream, milk, and cheese, with the same taste and texture of dairy.
Amid growing concerns for the environment, animal welfare, and health problems currently associated with the traditional meat and dairy industries, investors are now increasingly looking to seek out companies creating a more sustainable and ethical future of food.
The unsustainable nature of our current food system has been highlighted by the current pandemic.
Facing bottlenecks in the supply chain, and decades of falling demand, the dairy industry has been particularly affected, with over 3 million gallons of cow’s milk poured away every day in the US alone.
By not relying on animals, Perfect Day can increase or decrease production depending on the demand. “We’re committed to building real change that prioritizes diversity, agility, and resilience”, says Ryan Pandya, co-founder and CEO of Perfect Day.
More stories:
Species Unite
A collection of stories of those who fight the good fight on behalf of animals.
The footage was reportedly recorded at Marshall BioResources in North Rose, New York, where up to 22,000 dogs - mostly beagles - are being bred for animal experimentation.