After obtaining self-GRAS status last November for its animal-free lactoferrin, LF+, TurtleTree, a Singaporean biotech company operating in California, USA, announces that the product has officially obtained vegan certification.
TrutleTree’s protein and manufacturing process has been certified by Vegan Action, the leading vegan certification provider in the US. The vegan stamp ensures that consumers can trust the absence of animal products, byproducts, and animal testing in their products.
According to the Singaporean biotech, this milestone establishes it as the first precision fermentation dairy company globally to obtain vegan certification. Meanwhile, it also marks the first time that Vegan Action gives the stamp to a novel protein in its 24-year trajectory with more than 15,000 products Vegan Certified.
Fengru Lin, CEO and co-founder of TurtleTree, comments: “With this certification, we are putting words into action and allowing that action to be validated by a third party. We want to build a food system that is sustainable and enables animals to live happier and healthier lives.”
Highest ethical standards
TurtleTree states that it has taken a pioneering step by securing vegan certification for its bioidentical dairy protein, LF+, confirming its strict adherence to the highest ethical standards.
According to the firm, precision fermentation-derived proteins and other ingredients are difficult to establish as vegan due to their bioidentical nature and the origins of the genetic codes required for their production, especially if the ingredients are intended for vegan and plant-based products.
In addition, since regulatory approvals demand extensive safety testing, some companies opt for quicker, cheaper animal testing studies, limiting their products from obtaining vegan certification. This has resulted in a lack of official vegan certification for many precision fermentation ingredients, despite being animal-free, argues the company.
Krissi Vandenberg, director of Vegan Action, comments: “We were thrilled to get TurtleTree’s product Vegan Certified because of the clear benchmark this sets for the rest of the industry.
“This certification demonstrates the tangible steps companies can take to validate and communicate their values to customers, underlining a collective commitment to ethical standards.”
Vegan lactoferrin for better nutrition
With the global vegan food market expected to reach $36 billion by 2031, LF+ will offer the F&D industry a new source of vegan-certified proteins.
According to TurtleTree, lactoferrin provides benefits for human health, such as improved immunity, iron regulation, digestive health, and physical performance, including aiding endurance, fatigue resistance, muscle strength, and energetic efficiency.
LF+ can be used to enhance the nutrition of infant formulas, plant-based dairy, and sports nutrition products, including protein powders, functional beverages, meal replacement alternatives, and multivitamins. The biotech company says multiple clients have shown interest in buying a $500 million value of animal-free lactoferrin over the next five years.
Lin adds: “As conscious consumers increasingly prioritize ethical choices, we aim to provide food and beverage brands with the unwavering confidence that our products align seamlessly with those evolving values.”
