Plant molecular farming delivers a new way to produce scalable, profitable animal-free cheese that fulfills authentic cheese cravings.

Food-tech start-up NewMoo, Ltd. makes its debut in the “happy cow” space by using plant molecular farming (PMF) to produce casein proteins for making cheese. Caseins comprise about 80 percent of the proteins in dairy milk. The resulting product allows cheesemakers to deliver the same genuine cheese experience as traditional dairy cheese via a cost-effective, animal-free, and sustainable pathway.

Until now, cheese alternatives have struggled to offer consumers the real cheese experience, nutrition, and price. Cheese analogs do not contain the key dairy proteins and caseins necessary to precisely recreate the sensory properties of dairy cheese.

Creating dairy, without the cow

The scientists at NewMoo discovered a way to express casein proteins in plant seeds that can grow abundantly through traditional field agriculture. After three years of stealth, NewMoo unveils  proteins that match dairy proteins in nutrition, composition, and function.

The start-up’s technology and concept are built on exclusive research and intellectual property derived at the Weizmann Institute of Science, in Rehovot, Israel. The innovation allows for the expression of two or more caseins within a single plant via a novel approach to plant molecular farming. The seeds are then sown in outdoor fields. After harvesting the plants, the NewMoo casein liquid base is produced through a unique development process that yields a hormone-free liquid casein naturally free of lactose and cholesterol and that replicates the functionality of dairy cheese.

Caseins are considered the “holy grail” of milk structure by the dairy industry. By developing animal-free caseins through plants instead of cows, it is possible to make almost any dairy product, starting with cheese. “Our animal-free liquid casein mimics all the functional traits of real milk protein for crafting cheese the traditional way,” explains Daphna Miller, NewMoo co-founder and CEO. “This means it can seamlessly replace dairy milk in any dairy cheese manufacturing facility without the need for any special equipment or reconfiguration of existing equipment. NewMoo’s caseins can form the basis for a cheese that has the exact melting and stretching behavior as animal dairy cheese, and delivers the typical aroma, flavor, and texture that cheese eaters crave. Our animal-free proteins are literally identical to animal-derived caseins.”

NewMoo allows for a highly efficient, cost-effective process that sets the cow free from the industrial milk production process and sequesters carbon during natural cultivation. This makes for a more sustainable source of milk proteins.

NewMoo’s competitive edge

The NewMoo team boasts extensive experience in the dairy and CPG industries. “We intimately understand the needs of food companies,” explains Miller. “Unlike protein powders, the NewMoo liquid casein is production-ready, helping streamline production and go-to-market. As opposed to current precision fermentation practices, our approach doesn’t require expensive bioreactor machinery to grow our proteins. The plant seeds themselves act as bioreactors. This gives us the flexibility to produce these complex proteins in abundance and at exceptional cost parity.” NewMoo’s manufacturing process is easily scalable for simple implementation. 

“This method of making previously animal-based foods from non-animal sources is a win-win situation,” Miller adds. “It benefits the consumers, the dairy producers, farmers, the health- and animal welfare-conscious flexitarians, and the global climate. We believe that this technology is the most suitable for bringing the future of sustainable animal free dairy products.”

“Our goal is to assist dairy cheese manufacturers broaden their market scope to include the burgeoning flexitarian demographic,” asserts co-founder Hod Yanover, Vice President of Food Development for NewMoo. “We empower cheesemakers to create delectable and nutritious guilt-free products with ease and at no added costs.”

According to data from Euromonitor, 42 percent of consumers worldwide identify themselves as flexitarian. The global cheese market has been valued at USD135 billion and is projected to reach USD220 billion by 2028. The alternative dairy movement is still lagging, largely due to sensory and nutritional setbacks. 

About NewMoo

NewMoo, Ltd. was founded in 2021 with a mission to help consumers enjoy milk proteins without the cow. The company raised USD7 million in seed funding led by Lool and Zora ventures. This investment helped the company build a strong team, develop the R&D process for the seeds, and build the downstream process of NewMoo’s liquid casein for cheese producers.

NewMoo’s team of dairy industry insiders consists of four co-founders, all experts across multidisciplinary fields, including plant molecular genetics and food business development. Hod Yanover, Vice President of Food Development, brings over 20 years of experience as senior R&D food and innovation manager in the dairy division of dairy giant Tnuva, Ltd and as CTO Innovation of Tnuva Ltd. Yulia Fridman-Timaner, PhD, is the company’s Chief Science Officer. With a Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Science from the Technion, she has 15 years of experience in genetic engineering and spatiotemporal control of gene expression and is an expert in gene expression in plants.

Daphna Miller, MBA, is the CEO. With Over 20 years of experience in marketing and business leadership, she has held executive roles in the top food companies in Israel, including Strauss Group, Tnuva, and Nestlé. Lead some of the most successful launches in dairy vertical in Israel Aviad Maizels, Chairman, Former President and Founder of PrimeSense (acquired by Apple) and serial entrepreneur. World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, International Board Member of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

¹ https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/cheese-market-104293