‘Animal-free’ milk approved in Canada
No objections from national health agency
Canadians have a new alternative protein option: animal-free milk.
In a first for Canada, Health Canada said it has no objection to the food use of Remilk’s beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) protein, which is produced from a genetically modified yeast strain. The protein “does not raise concerns related to food safety,” the department concluded following its assessment.
Canada is the fourth country to allow the sale and use of the Israeli cultured food company’s cow-free milk protein. In February 2023, the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Singapore Food Agency approved its BLG protein, followed by the Israeli Ministry of Health in April.
“Regulatory approvals serve to not only open new markets for the sale of our proteins but also as reassurance for both industry and consumers that our protein is the same milk protein they have been consuming and enjoying for decades,” Ori Cohavi, Remilk’s co-founder and CTO, said in a statement.
Health Canada’s “Letter of No Objection” will open the door to various animal-free products, including nutritional bars and beverages, cheese, ice cream and yogurt, as well as plant-based drinks. The company says these foods will have the same taste and texture as milk while being free of lactose and cholesterol and having a smaller environmental footprint than dairy production.
According to Health Canada, the protein isn’t intended for sale directly to consumers or for use in infant formula.
Meat substitutes have plateaued or are faltering but the dairy alternatives market is going strong. Global sales are projected to grow to $90 billion by 2030 from roughly $35 billion in 2022, according to Research and Markets data.
“There’s a lot to love in dairy, which is why we set out to create a solution that will enable consumers to enjoy the taste of the dairy they love without dairy’s environmental and health-related drawbacks. The recognition from Health Canada — which follows years of R&D and major investments by Remilk — led to this pivotal moment, enabling a substantial market entry,” said Aviv Wolff, Remilk’s co-founder and CEO.
Remilk makes its BLG protein with precision fermentation, a type of cellular agriculture. It is the first animal-derived protein produced by microbial fermentation that Health Canada has authorized as a novel food, the regulator said on its website.
Food and drug companies have been using precision fermentation to make insulin to treat diabetes and calffree rennet for cheesemaking since the 1970s. In recent years, a new wave of food tech companies has been using precision fermentation to make a wide range of products, such as bacon, egg whites and lobster.
Stemming from traditional fermentation methods, in which yeast might transform sugars into alcohol or the sugars and starches in bread dough into carbon dioxide, scientists turn microbes into mini-factories to produce specific ingredients.
WE’RE CREATING THE NEW GENERATION OF FOOD THAT IS NOT ONLY DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS BUT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SUSTAINABLE.
As Irina Gerry, CMO of Change Foods, told Real Simple in 2023, milk created with precision fermentation is estimated to use 100 times less land, 25 times less feed, 10 times less water and five times less energy than conventional dairy.
“Canada is an important market for us, and we are proud to be the first to enter with an opportunity to deliver an unparalleled dairy experience for Canadians,” said Wolff. “Remilk’s animal-free protein represents a breakthrough. We’re creating the new generation of food that is not only delicious and nutritious but significantly more sustainable and kind to our planet and animals.”