Much like plant-based imitators, precision fermentation technology is a sector working to create so-called animal-free dairy products. However, Clay Detlefsen, National Milk Producers Federation Senior Vice President and Staff Counsel, said a real dairy product cannot be made with precision fermentation technology.
?Companies will not be making real dairy products with precision fermentation technology,? Detlefsen said. ?What they will be doing is making a protein or two, or a fatty acid or two, and mixing that in with God only knows what other ingredients, probably all nondairy ingredients, and coming up with something that they will tout as a real dairy alternative made with real dairy. And we’re seeing a lot of folks right now really misleading the public as to what they’re doing. You cannot make a real dairy product with fermentation technology.?
Additionally, several details surrounding the production process have been glossed over. Detlefsen said the marketing of the products is misleading and lacks transparency.
?One of the things that concerns me is they’re playing fast and loose with the facts,? Detlefsen said. ?There’s been an enormous lack of transparency as to their processes, what precautions they will be taking, what their level of experience is going to be. We really don’t know a whole lot about precision fermentation technology when it applies to food. Time will tell but, yeah, they’re not being very clear these days.?
Detlefsen said these companies are creating a non-dairy product, but they?re still trying to use the good name of dairy for marketing.
?Basically, they?re touting these as dairy-free dairy products or animal-free dairy products,? Detlefsen said. ?And they are not going to go anywhere near making a real dairy product, but they are going to try and get consumers to think they are, much like the plant-based people have been doing. You might see some of the plant-based people start to add in a dairy ingredient to basically derive a halo from what we have to offer.?
And while the products are taking advantage of the dairy industry?s name, Detlefsen said the synthetic dairy products are marketed as being better for the environment.
?Absolutely, these synthetic food companies are out there stating that they are better for the environment than animal-derived products, which I think is a flawed concept on many levels,? Detlefsen said. ?The dairy industry is working very hard to improve our situation. We’ve been doing it for decades, and we’ve made some remarkable accomplishments, and even more so are planned for the future. But to be quite honest, I don’t view the dairy industry as being harmful to the environment. I think that’s a misstatement, but they’re definitely trying to leverage that concept to market their products.?
Detlefsen added that it?s important that synthetic and plant-based products have clear, concise and transparent labels.
?We’ve been ravaged for a couple of decades by the plant based dairy imitators,? Detlefsen said. ?The Food and Drug Administration has just done an abysmal job of allowing that to happen. We do not want these synthetic folks to mislead consumers. These are not dairy products they’re making; they’re making a dairy-type ingredient. And we’ll see where it goes, but absolutely we want 100 percent transparency and truthfulness in their labeling, their marketing, and their online presence.?
Learn more at nmpf.org.
