Precision fermentation and the original vegan
Panel Whey Conference
I have returned from the International Whey Conference in Dublin, having examined everything from the actual producer of our main industry product, the cow, to precision fermentation and the like, discussed at the conference. And everything in between, including a pint of Guinness. Trade, China and the expansion of the whey industry beyond bodybuilding were just a few of the many interesting topics discussed. I will provide a fuller report in our November/December issue.
The takeaway was this – people are investing heavily in something that costs a lot to set up, and the output is quite small. A bioreactor is about US$1 million, we were told at the conference. Then, I went to visit a field, which was filled with natural bioreactors, who can turn grass (inedible by humans) into milk, which can be processed and ingested in so many ways. A cow runs around US$3,000 or so. Depends on a lot of factors. Plus, the system is set up so that she produces more cows.
So, I suspect the tech bros may have a bit of non-starter on their hands, when it comes to upscaling and selling it to the public. One may sniff at using dairy as a base for such processes, but the basic facts are that milk is a fairly complete protein, easily digestible and quite adaptable to most systems. Other proteins, such as almonds and oats, don’t begin to reach the heights that dairy does. Dairy protein is quite complete as it comes from the cow.
Precision fermentation is handy for items such as rennet and vitamins, but it uses a lot of energy and the overall yield is low. The real use for it may be in making whey more valuable. Organisations such as the Center for Dairy Research in Wisconsin have invested in a bioreactor for dairy waste streams for that very purpose. Dairy, as usual, is learning from other sectors to make an already great product, even better.
#wheyconference24
- Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
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