You probably have seen the news: the world is running out of whey protein. Historic price hikes, suppliers sold out through 2027, billions poured into new processing capacity.
We could write lots about that, but let’s focus on the big question: then what? Who will meet the ever-growing need for milk protein?
Industry insiders see a delta growing towards 100,000 tons of WPI missing, already this year.
There is a real mismatch between what the market needs and what is currently delivered. High-grade WPI has become the benchmark because it uniquely combines complete nutrition with exceptional functionality. Other dairy ingredients cannot match its purity or performance, while alternative proteins often force manufacturers to compromise on nutrition, functionality, or sensory quality.
Beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) is the fraction of WPI that makes it so attractive. Rich in leucine and other essential amino acids, benefiting muscle, metabolic and immune health. Fully soluble in water, leaving no chalky taste of texture. In essence, BLG is the best of WPI.
With precision fermentation, industrials can produce BLG specifically. No side streams. No dependency on cheese economics. Just the protein, at the quality and purity the market increasingly demands.
Using our world-leading technology, BLG Essential+™ is in the money already. Industrial-scale production is competitive with animal-derived WPI. Even better: it’s robust against variability cycles and future price fluctuations.
We have already removed the biggest barrier to precision fermentation: scale. Our platform builds on technology proven at industrial scale, partly licensed from Novonesis and backed by the Novo Group’s decades of fermentation expertise.
The companies that secure production capacity today will be the ones supplying tomorrow’s protein market. Capacity of BLG produced via precision fermentation will be coming online.
We’re ready to help you get more capacity to market with a mature production technology.
