Milk without cows – can we produce sustainable milk alternatives?

Arrate Sainz de la Maza Larrea, Leonie Johanna Jahn, Morten Otto Alexander Sommer

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Abstract

Our food production system is the single most contributor to climate change, and 80% of its impact is caused by animal farming. Increasing animal protein consumption has triggered environmental concerns about sustainability and climate change, which resonate with ethical and public health issues. Therefore, identifying alternatives for animal products is crucial for the planetary health. Even though plant-based drinks can partly mimic bovine milk, most of them have altered taste, functionality or nutritional value, placing them far from the ideal analogue. Advances in biotechnology provide a promising solution by allowing recombinant production of the essential components of milk, nutritionally highly valuable and bioactive proteins. Moreover, it allows the design and tailoring of the final product so it fits our nutritional and health requirements even better than conventional milk. Caseins are a family of key proteins in milk and play a particularly important role in food traits, including the characteristic stretch, melt and mouthfeel of cheese. When produced recombinantly, host-specific post-translational modifications can alter some crucial physico-chemical properties of caseins such as calcium-binding and micelle formation. In my research project I aim to characterize and optimize different microbial hosts as potential milk protein production platforms not only in terms of yield and titer, but also in regard to specific food-related protein functionality. I will also explore the possibility of in situ recombinant casein production coupled to fermentation of various plant substrates for the development of milk-like food products without or minimal waste generation.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2022
Publication statusPublished - 2022
EventCopenhagen Bioscience Conference: Microbial Foods 2022 - Roskildevej 58, 3400 Hillerød, Hillerød, Denmark
Duration: 8 May 202212 May 2022

Conference

ConferenceCopenhagen Bioscience Conference
LocationRoskildevej 58, 3400 Hillerød
Country/TerritoryDenmark
CityHillerød
Period08/05/202212/05/2022

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