Startup Making Milk From Mushrooms Gets FDA Approval

An Israeli foodtech startup that makes milk and other dairy products from mushrooms has attained a “No Questions letter” from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which confirms the safety and quality of its dairy protein and it allows the company to break into the American market. 

Haifa-based ImaginDairy has bioengineered milk protein to create a wide range of dairy products – using mushrooms and no cows. Using a process called precision fermentation, ImaginDairy has recreated these proteins in the lab in order to generate every kind of dairy product. 

The company was founded in 2020 but utilizes more than 15 years of AI research from Tel Aviv University to develop its milk alternative. 

The company says its product has a taste identical to the original. While the texture and nutritional values are also the same as for traditional dairy, the company says its alternative is cholesterol-free, lactose-free and hormone-free. 

The production is intended to be sustainable and eco-friendly in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, and other environmental parameters.

“This approval signifies the FDA’s acknowledgment of the safety of our high-quality dairy proteins. We are now poised to provide this innovative ingredient to food companies, offering consumers the experience of dairy without reliance on traditional livestock,” said Dr. Eyal Afergan, co-founder and CEO of ImaginDairy. 

“This is a momentous step for both ImaginDairy and the consumers.”