The Israeli startup produces a protein by precision fermentation that is identical to cow-derived whey protein, but without using a single animal cell.
It says its milk alternative is “indistinguishable in taste and function from traditional dairy but without lactose, cholesterol, and hormones, and with a fraction of the environmental impact”.
The Singapore Food Authority has given Remilk regulatory approval to begin sales. In 2020 Singapore became the first country in the world to approve the sale of lab-grown meat.
Meanwhile the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has issued a “No Questions Letter” indicating that it accepts the unanimous conclusion by a panel of experts that Remilk’s animal-free whey protein can be safely used in food products. Remilk has been sold in the US since last year.
“Both SFA’s approval and the No Questions Letter we received from the FDA serve as further proof that our animal-free milk protein is bioidentical to its cow-derived counterpart and safe for consumption”, said Aviv Wolff, Remilk’s CEO.
“Humans have consumed milk proteins as a staple source of high-quality nutrition for millennia. Remilk’s animal-free protein maintains these great benefits, enabling us to reinvent dairy that is kinder, and significantly more sustainable.
“We take pride in these regulatory approvals and look forward to a continued global focus on unlocking the future of food”.
The company was established in Ness Ziona, central Israel, in 2019, to “reinvent the dairy industry” by removing cows from the milk-making process. It has attracted over $130 million in funding.
