New Culture is “Redefining the Boundaries of What’s Possible in Dairy” with Significant Upscaling of Animal-Free Mozzarella

California startup New Culture announces that it has successfully increased the production of its precision fermentation platform to a much larger scale and additionally has achieved a reduction of 80% in product cost. According to the company, it has managed to produce enough animal-free casein in a single run to make cheese for 25,000 pizzas.

Founded in 2019, New Culture makes animal-free mozzarella by combining traditional cheese-making methods and casein proteins derived from precision fermentation. The company debuted its revolutionary cheese in June at Nancy Silverton’s Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles — where New Culture’s mozzarella will officially launch in 2024 before expanding to other pizzerias nationwide. 

New Culture has received financial support from companies, including Kraft Heinz, ADM, and biotech giant CJ CheilJedang, to develop further its innovative platform that allows the production of any type of cheese without using animal-based ingredients.

Scaling casein for 14 million pizzas

Reaching this production milestone marks a significant step in offering a dairy-free alternative to traditional mozzarella to pizzerias throughout America. According to the startup, it’s the first time in the world that a company produces recombinant casein at such a scale.

“Our world-class team at New Culture has solved a string of incredibly complex technical challenges in order to produce our animal-free casein at this scale,” says Inja Radman, co-founder and CSO of New Culture. 

After this milestone in its production capacity, New Culture says it has achieved a reduction of 80% in its product cost, reaching its targets. And the company predicts that within three years, it could expand its biomanufacturing capacities to make its animal-free mozzarella reach price parity with conventional dairy cheese. It expects to produce enough casein to make cheese for more than 14 million pizzas annually. 

“We are redefining the boundaries of what’s possible in dairy in a way that isn’t being done anywhere else,” Radman adds.

A new sustainable era

As it continues to scale manufacturing capabilities, New Culture is paving the way for a new industry with far-reaching implications for environmental sustainability, animal welfare, and human health. 

Traditional cheese production method consumes a significant amount of water and energy resources. And the terrible condition of animals in the dairy industry has been raising ethical concerns worldwide. But New Culture’s animal-free mozzarella requires a fraction of these resources, while precision fermentation eliminates the need to use animal products while allowing consumers to enjoy their favorite cheeses. 

“This achievement marks a pivotal moment for New Culture and the food industry. We are entering an era where we can produce massive amounts of real cheese without the involvement of any animals,” says Matt Gibson, co-founder and CEO of New Culture.

Read Matt Gibson’s recent Op Ed on precision fermentation here.

manufacturing
biotech