Approvals

New Culture Submits Animal-Free Mozzarella Product Label to California Department of Food and Agriculture

Animal-free dairy producer New Culture has submitted the product label and registration for its mozzarella to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). It is believed to be the first time a label for a product made with animal-free casein has been submitted to the department for review.

“The taste, the ingredients, the nutritionals – getting all three right is no easy feat”

Produced using precision fermentation, New Culture’s casein enables animal-free cheeses to melt, stretch, bubble, and brown. Traditional cheesemaking techniques are used to turn the casein into mozzarella, with the addition of ingredients such as water, sunflower oil, coconut oil, salt, sugar, starch, and fortifying minerals.

The resulting product is claimed to provide the same taste and texture as mozzarella with a much lower environmental impact. Its nutritional profile is said to be similar to conventional mozzarella, with 5g of protein and 2g of carbohydrates per serving. Furthermore, the animal-free mozzarella is free of soy, nuts, gluten, lactose, and cholesterol.

New Culture says it will provide support to CDFA throughout the label review process. Once approved, the mozzarella will be served by acclaimed chef Nancy Silverton at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles.

Californian animal-free cheese producer New Culture announces a strategic partnership with its previous investor CJ CheilJedang, a South Korean biotech giant.
© New Culture

“No easy feat”

In an interview with vegconomist in 2023, New Culture said its technology had enabled the development of any type of animal-free cheese. The company announced in February of last year that it had self-affirmed its precision fermentation-derived casein as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), in what was claimed to be the world’s first GRAS designation for animal-free casein.

Three months later, New Culture partnered with South Korean biotech giant CJ CheilJedang to reduce the production cost of the casein, aiming to achieve a competitive price for its animal-free mozzarella.

“We’re incredibly proud of the label we submitted to CDFA. The taste, the ingredients, the nutritionals – getting all three right is no easy feat and our team has done it,” said Inja Radman, New Culture co-founder and CSO. “With New Culture cheese, it’s time to finally close the door on all the plant-based cheeses out there: gloopy, starchy, they simply can’t deliver.”

Don't miss out!

The Cultivated X newsletter:
information for decision-makers

Regularly receive the most important news from the cultivated business world.

Invalid email address

Share