Where does the milk protein DNA come from?
None of Real Vegan Cheese's genes have been inside an animal—human, cow or otherwise.
To create our proteins, we study animal genomes, choose milk-protein genetic sequences, and synthesize those genes. The genes are then temporarily inserted into yeast and produced using the cellular machinery of baker's yeast. The genes are yeast-optimized and, though they are inspired by animals, have never been inside an animal!
Same proteins. Different genes.
Why Real Vegan Cheese?
- We believe this project has the ability to address future food scarcity concerns. Yeast are renewable and sustainable.
- We believe that vegans have rights to nutritious cheese too!
- We believe that the days of using cows as food production machines is environmentally irresponsible.
- This project will address future food scarcity concerns, as yeast are renewable and the processes to cheese are nearly limitless.
- Our process is more sustainable than standard cheese-making processes.
What are the social implications of your work?
We live in an unsustainable world. The cheese we eat today is produced by commercial dairy cows which, though they produce delicious milk and cheese, have an exceptionally large carbon footprint. Even the U.S. Food and Agriculture Organization admits that the world's 1.5 billion cows emit dozens of polluting gases, including lots of methane. During their lives on this planet, dairy cows emit a terrifyingly large amount of methane gas. This methane gas is a leading contributor to global warming!
By creating an alternative pathway to cheese, we help the environment, increase access to tasty and healthy food, and support people who have already committed themselves to having a smaller carbon footprint while here on Earth.
