*There is no legal definition of 'vegan' enshrined in US food law, so manufacturers make their own judgments or rely on 3rd party certifying agencies if they wish to adhere to a specific standard.
Perfect Day secured a coveted 'no questions/objections' letter from the FDA in response to its Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) determination for 'non-animal' whey protein in early 2020.
The microbes feed on sugars and other nutrients in big fermentation tanks and secrete the protein into the broth from which it can be harvested. (The first products from its platform use a fungi found in soil called Trichoderma reesei.) Perfect Day uses microbes (which it describes as ‘flora’ – which could cover fungi, yeast, or bacteria) and adds DNA sequences (which can be 3D printed using synthetic biology techniques) which effectively instruct the microbes to produce the proteins and fats found in milk. Perfect Day’s dairy proteins ( and in future fats) are cleaner, greener and kinder than those produced via industrialized animal farming, claim its founders, but they also represent a new supply of animal-free ingredients that deliver the unique functionality and nutrition of dairy so that formulators do not have to compromise. While the packaging highlights the brand's vegan/animal-free and lactose-free credentials, and features the strapline, ‘for a delicious future,’ the focus is on taste, he said. “The opportunity to pioneer a new food category doesn’t happen too often, and now 5,000 retail stores are with us… Dairy alternative ice creams always miss the mark on taste, and today's consumer is hungry for better options." 'The opportunity to pioneer a new food category doesn’t happen too often'īrave Robot has now secured listings in multiple Kroger banners, Harris Teeter, Albertsons/Safeway, Stop & Shop, Shoprite, Sprouts, Harmons, New Seasons, Fresh Thyme, and Earth Fare, said Kollesoff. While plant-based milks have captured a significant share of the fluid milk market, they account for a much smaller share of the ice cream and yogurt market, in part because it can be harder to deliver the taste, texture, eating experience, and functionality that consumers expect from these products, claimed The Urgent Co general manager and co-founder Paul Kollesoff.īrave Robot - by contrast - tastes and performs like regular ice cream, because it's made with real dairy, just not from cow's milk, he said, enabling consumers to have their cake and eat it, especially those that are concerned about the ethics and sustainability of animal agriculture, but don't think plant-based products can match them on taste, performance, or nutrition. It is one of a handful of brands to feature the non-animal whey proteins, including Graeter’s new Perfect Indulgence line and 'Swedish-style ice cream brand Nick’s.
BRAVE ROBOT FREE
The vegan* ice cream brand, which is pioneering a new ‘animal free dairy’ category promising the taste and performance of real dairy, without cows, utilizes whey proteins from Perfect Day, made via microbial fermentation.
Carbohydrates and fibers (sugar, starches).Plant-based, alt proteins, precision fermentation.