Lab milk???

Mad4simmental

A new company in the US plans to revolutionise the way milk is produced around the world, by removing the cow from the equation.

Muufri plans to produce milk in a lab from yeast and the end product is due to be on shelves within two years.

It says it the lab-produced ‘milk’ will be a product virtually indistinguishable from cows’ milk, because it will have the same proteins, fats, sugars, vitamins and minerals, it will also taste the same, according to Perumal Gandhi, co-founder of Californian research and development company Muufri.

“Our solution is to make real milk from the bottom up. It’s a fairly simple mixture: six key proteins for structure and function, eight key fatty acids for flavour and richness. In different ratios, these components give us cow’s milk, goat’s milk, or even buffalo milk – all suitable to become countless products, from toppings to cheeses to desserts.”

Using the same principles of biotechnology behind beer or vegetarian rennet, Muufri will make milk that tastes and functions just like animal-produced milk, but without the problems associated with industrial animal facilities.

Muufri also claims it will add new value to dairy, too. “Because we choose what goes into our product, we can choose to leave out lactose, which is at least partially indigestible by 75% of adults; and we can choose to leave out bad cholesterol for a much healthier product. And because our products are made with the same precision as medicines, they’ll be free of all bacteria – meaning a great-tasting milk with unprecedentedly long shelf life, no pasteurisation needed,” it noted.

The company has also received backing from Ireland, with former RTE Dragon’s Den investor Sean O’Sullivan investing in the company. In a recent interview he said: “We’re backing a company called Muufri. Imagine making better milk than exists today, without cows. It’s natural milk, replicated through natural processes, mainly using yeast and DNA replication, grown in a vat. It’s hugely cheaper than ordinary milk, without any issues related to shelf life or lactose intolerance.”

From ear to the ground FB page. I don't think it will take off. Your thoughts?

Milked out

It's hard to know really, if this becomes commercially viable the big question is will consumers go for it. Other issues are will countries allow livestock farming to be undermined with test tube milk and petri dish burgers f agriculture represents large parts of the economy in terms of jobs and exports etc. Then again food security is an issue also.
At the end of the day if it happens large scale we could well be up sh!t Creek

Greengrass1

Milked out wrote: »

It's hard to know really, if this becomes commercially viable the big question is will consumers go for it. Other issues are will countries allow livestock farming to be undermined with test tube milk and petri dish burgers f agriculture represents large parts of the economy in terms of jobs and exports etc. Then a gib food security is an issue also.
At the end of the day if it happens large scale we could well be up sh!t Creek

I for one wouldn't drink it. I know I am a farmer and all but I don't think it will take off. Well I hope not any way.
People are aware that nature is always best.

Mad4simmental

Greengrass1 wrote: »

I for one wouldn't drink it. I know I am a farmer and all but I don't think it will take off. Well I hope not any way.
People are aware that nature is always best.

Fully agree. I think most people won't drink it, and I very much doubt it tastes the same regardless what they say. I would say it may be more compitision agents the likes of soy milt ect.

Brown Podzol

No mention of the price. Feedstock, you can't get out billions of litres of milk without putting in millions of tons of some sort of feed. Might be some sort of designer food come out of it but not enough to feed the world or indeed to effect the dairy industry, I hope.

RobertKK

Option 1 - Natural milk from a cow, goat, camel or sheep.
Option 2 - Artificial milk made in a factory.

Option 1 will be most popular.

People don't want lab meat and it will be the same for milk, they will want it from a cow.

Cavanjack

What's the raw product? Will it have to be grown somewhere?

conor t

RobertKK wrote: »

Option 1 - Natural milk from a cow, goat, camel or sheep.
Option 2 - Artificial milk made in a factory.

Option 1 will be most popular.

People don't want lab meat and it will be the same for milk, they will want it from a cow.

But for manufacturing if its cheaper and tastes the same it would more than likely be used

royalmeath

RobertKK wrote: »

Option 1 - Natural milk from a cow, goat, camel or sheep.
Option 2 - Artificial milk made in a factory.

Option 1 will be most popular.

People don't want lab meat and it will be the same for milk, they will want it from a cow.

I think people will go for it. You have to remember Coca Cola is also a manufactured product which enjoys almost universal popularity.

Del2005

Greengrass1 wrote: »

I for one wouldn't drink it. I know I am a farmer and all but I don't think it will take off. Well I hope not any way.
People are aware that nature is always best.

The milk produced in some countries isn't very natural now, huge factory farms with thousands of cows which never get let out feed all manner of antibiotics and growth hormones. How natural is that? All these are going to do is remove the cow from the factory farms which if it does prove successful will as sad result will kill off our naturally grass feed milk unless we market it as a premium product, that it is.

royalmeath

Del2005 wrote: »

The milk produced in some countries isn't very natural now, huge factory farms with thousands of cows which never get let out feed all manner of antibiotics and growth hormones. How natural is that? All these are going to do is remove the cow from the factory farms which if it does prove successful will as sad result will kill off our naturally grass feed milk unless we market it as a premium product, that it is.

Frankly we should be marketing our milk in this manner already. We are a small island, we should be seen as the artisan food nation. Irish farmers should be given incentives to produce milk in a wholesome way, i.e no zero grazing or the like. Our small farmers should be protected and encouraged to
farm in a sustainable way. Irish milk products should be seen on ther shop shelfs as premium products

Nekarsulm

Mad4simmental wrote: »

Fully agree. I think most people won't drink it, and I very much doubt it tastes the same regardless what they say. I would say it may be more compitision agents the likes of soy milt ect.

But Mad4, the same argument could be made for all the Spreads on the market, most of which use names like "Utterly Buttery" etc. People in general buy what's cheapest and handiest. they buy a tub of congealed oils, cause its 1)Cheap
2)Easily spread
3)Stays fresh for ages, while real butter would go rancid.

What the contents are, or how its made are facts far from their minds.

Mad4simmental

Nekarsulm wrote: »

But Mad4, the same argument could be made for all the Spreads on the market, most of which use names like "Utterly Buttery" etc. People in general buy what's cheapest and handiest. they buy a tub of congealed oils, cause its 1)Cheap
2)Easily spread
3)Stays fresh for ages, while real butter would go rancid.

What the contents are, or how its made are facts far from their minds.

True that. From what they say they are makeing it from yeast much the same as beer ect. Milk as a drink isn't where the money is any way it's the protein powder ect as far as I know. Itl be interesting all the same.

_Brian

It's something like this that the Chinese would probably be glad of.
If it can be based on a crop (I'd imagine it will have a plant base if some sorts) they would be able to farm it in Africa on their large tracts of farmland there and then process it into milk.
No doubt Milk consumption is rising in China but they just don't like being relying on imports for basics.

The western world would be harder to convert from fresh milk, think of how hard it is to get joe soap to use UHT never mind some factory produced product not from a cow.

So I'd see this as being a danger to emerging markets rather than domestic/traditional markets.

Then there is cost, didn't the burger made from lab grown meat cost half a million or some such. Long way off competing with traditional meat costs.

Timmaay

_Brian wrote: »

The western world would be harder to convert from fresh milk, think of how hard it is to get joe soap to use UHT never mind some factory produced product not from a cow.

Maybe in Ireland where we take fresh milk for granted, but over on the continent it's only UHT, hard to find fresh milk.

RightTurnClyde

I don't think the liquid milk is where this lab milk will do the damage. At the processing level, if a cheaper more stable synthetic milk powder can be used in manufacturing it will. And nobody will give a sh1t if it's from a cow or a vat.

Mad4simmental

It's safe for people with lactose intolerance. Ireland is one of the highest lactose intolerance country's in the world along with our spread out outs across the world. This may be the biggest seller.