New Culture and CJ CheilJedang Forge Strategic Partnership to Scale Animal-Free Dairy Production
Source: The DairyNews
New Culture, a trailblazer in the animal-free dairy industry, announced today a strategic partnership with CJ CheilJedang, the world's largest supplier of bioproducts derived from microbial fermentation.
This collaboration aims to reduce the production costs of New Culture's animal-free casein protein, making it competitively priced for the mass market, including their flagship product, mozzarella for pizzerias.
New Culture has revolutionized dairy production by creating mozzarella cheese without animal milk, addressing nutrition, dietary, ethical, and environmental concerns. The key to their cheese is casein, the protein responsible for the "cheese stretch," which New Culture produces through a proprietary fermentation process akin to brewing beer. Their first product will debut this year at Pizzeria Mozza, run by James Beard Award-winning chef Nancy Silverton, marking a significant milestone in the $9 billion U.S. mozzarella market.
"To bring our animal-free cheese to pizza lovers everywhere, we need to produce it at a scale and cost that allows us to compete and win on product performance," said Inja Radman, co-founder and CSO of New Culture. "Our partnership with CJ CheilJedang gives us access to some of the world's largest and most advanced fermentation facilities, enabling us to truly transform the dairy industry."
CJ CheilJedang, a $23 billion Korean conglomerate, is a leader in food and biotechnology with over 60 years of experience in fermentation technology. Their expertise includes proprietary amino acids for feed and food, savory flavors, seasoning materials, and plant-based protein ingredients, spanning 10 manufacturing sites in 7 countries with millions of liters of fermentation capacity.
"Since our initial investment in New Culture in 2022, we've been impressed by their technical progress and ambition in the animal-free dairy sector," stated Seung June Choi, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning at CJ CheilJedang. "This partnership leverages our full range of expertise to accelerate New Culture's growth and market leadership."
This collaboration enhances New Culture's manufacturing capabilities and path to profitability, building on their partnership with ADM, a U.S.-based leader in alternative protein and fermentation. New Culture is also supported by Kraft Heinz, venture capital firms Mayfield, Future Ventures, Ahren Innovation Capital, and SOSV, as well as food investors S2G and CPT Capital.
About New Culture
New Culture is pioneering a global transition to animal-free dairy with cheese that stretches and melts like traditional cheese but is made without any animal inputs. By replacing dairy protein with an animal-free version produced through precision fermentation, New Culture replicates the taste and texture of traditional dairy products while significantly reducing the environmental and health impacts of cheesemaking. The company has been recognized by Fast Company's 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards, NPR's "How I Built This" podcast, and included in the 2023 ClimateTech 100 and FoodTech 500 lists. With their innovative science, New Culture is leading the way to a delicious, animal-free dairy future.
New Culture has revolutionized dairy production by creating mozzarella cheese without animal milk, addressing nutrition, dietary, ethical, and environmental concerns. The key to their cheese is casein, the protein responsible for the "cheese stretch," which New Culture produces through a proprietary fermentation process akin to brewing beer. Their first product will debut this year at Pizzeria Mozza, run by James Beard Award-winning chef Nancy Silverton, marking a significant milestone in the $9 billion U.S. mozzarella market.
"To bring our animal-free cheese to pizza lovers everywhere, we need to produce it at a scale and cost that allows us to compete and win on product performance," said Inja Radman, co-founder and CSO of New Culture. "Our partnership with CJ CheilJedang gives us access to some of the world's largest and most advanced fermentation facilities, enabling us to truly transform the dairy industry."
CJ CheilJedang, a $23 billion Korean conglomerate, is a leader in food and biotechnology with over 60 years of experience in fermentation technology. Their expertise includes proprietary amino acids for feed and food, savory flavors, seasoning materials, and plant-based protein ingredients, spanning 10 manufacturing sites in 7 countries with millions of liters of fermentation capacity.
"Since our initial investment in New Culture in 2022, we've been impressed by their technical progress and ambition in the animal-free dairy sector," stated Seung June Choi, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning at CJ CheilJedang. "This partnership leverages our full range of expertise to accelerate New Culture's growth and market leadership."
This collaboration enhances New Culture's manufacturing capabilities and path to profitability, building on their partnership with ADM, a U.S.-based leader in alternative protein and fermentation. New Culture is also supported by Kraft Heinz, venture capital firms Mayfield, Future Ventures, Ahren Innovation Capital, and SOSV, as well as food investors S2G and CPT Capital.
About New Culture
New Culture is pioneering a global transition to animal-free dairy with cheese that stretches and melts like traditional cheese but is made without any animal inputs. By replacing dairy protein with an animal-free version produced through precision fermentation, New Culture replicates the taste and texture of traditional dairy products while significantly reducing the environmental and health impacts of cheesemaking. The company has been recognized by Fast Company's 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards, NPR's "How I Built This" podcast, and included in the 2023 ClimateTech 100 and FoodTech 500 lists. With their innovative science, New Culture is leading the way to a delicious, animal-free dairy future.
