Israel Approves First Sales Of Cow-Free Dairy Milk

By Ariel Grossman, NoCamels April 30, 2023 2 minutes

Remilk became the first company to secure regulatory approval for non-animal milk protein in Israel. Courtesy

Israel is to become one of the first countries in the world to sell real, cow-free dairy products.

The health ministry has granted a first-of-its-kind permit to Remilk, a startup that produces real milk proteins from yeast, to sell its non-animal dairy products to Israelis.

“This permit is an initial breakthrough and a genuine milestone in an area in which the State of Israel is a technological leader,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The development of this technology will lead to the economic strengthening of Israel, food security, better dealing with climate change and the welfare of animals.”

Remilk copies the gene responsible for producing milk protein and inserts it into yeast. The yeast is instructed by the gene to create the milk protein, and it is placed in fermentors, where it multiplies rapidly.

The milk proteins can then be combined with vitamins, minerals, fat and sugar to make any dairy product. Unlike milk produced directly from a cow, it is free of lactose, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics.

Remilk uses a yeast-based fermentation process to produce animal-free milk proteins. Courtesy

Aviv Wolff, CEO of Remilk, said: “This is a defining moment, not only for Remilk, but for the entire global alternative protein industry and the state of Israel, one of the first in the world to recognize the significance of precision fermentation.

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“The opening of the Israeli market to real, animal-free dairy products will place Israel not only at the forefront of global food-tech research and development, but also as a leading market in the world for new food consumption.

“Today’s news opens the door for the introduction of high-quality and nutritious animal-free dairy products.”

A single cow can belch 220 pounds of methane per year, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Greenhouse gasses trap the sun’s heat within the atmosphere, creating planetary warming and leading to extreme weather conditions like high heat, wildfire, intense hurricanes, and rising sea levels.

There are approximately 940 million cows worldwide, the vast majority of which are farmed for dairy and meat production. As a result, livestock production – primarily cows – produce 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Remilk, based in Ness Ziona, central Israel, has raised more than $130 million since it was founded in 2019. It is already producing its protein at an industrial scale in facilities around the world.