New Culture strengthens animal-free casein IP with new mozzarella patent

Animal-free dairy company New Culture has secured another US patent covering cheese made with animal-free casein, strengthening its intellectual property position as it prepares to launch its mozzarella into the foodservice market.

• New US patent covers mozzarella made using animal-free alpha casein
• Company says its IP portfolio now spans multiple cheese types and dairy applications
• Foodservice launch with pizzerias remains the first commercial focus

The newly granted patent, US Patent No. 12,635,703, specifically covers mozzarella made using animal-free alpha casein, building on an earlier patent granted in 2023 that broadly covers cheese products made from recombinant alpha casein regardless of cheese type, formulation or manufacturing process.

New Culture develops animal-free casein using precision fermentation, producing the protein in powder form from fermented sugars rather than animal milk. The company says this protein delivers many of the characteristics traditionally associated with dairy cheese, including stretch, melt, texture, creaminess, hardness, adhesiveness, mouthfeel and flexibility.

According to the company, its proprietary mozzarella combines animal-free alpha-S1 casein with plant-derived oils, salts, sugars and minerals. The patent portfolio also extends to cheese products made using animal-free alpha casein derived from a range of species, including cow, sheep, goat, buffalo and camel.

"As the industry leader in animal-free casein, our patent portfolio at New Culture reflects the team's unparalleled expertise in not only producing but also developing products from animal-free casein at scale," said Inja Radman, Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer at New Culture. "This most recent patent, for mozzarella made from animal-free alpha casein, demonstrates yet another milestone on our path to transform the dairy industry."

The company said its core expertise lies in developing the microbial strains, fermentation process and downstream manufacturing required to produce animal-free alpha-S1 casein at commercial scale. It also continues to pursue additional patent protection covering the use of animal-free casein in both edible and non-edible applications.

While mozzarella will be New Culture's first commercial product, the company has also been working with global consumer packaged goods companies to demonstrate how its animal-free casein can be used across a wider range of dairy categories. These include yogurt, creamers and beverages, as well as higher-protein products targeting performance nutrition, metabolic health and everyday consumption.

The company noted that, alongside whey, casein is widely used in functional nutrition because of its slower digestion profile, making it suitable for extended recovery, satiety and emerging nutrition products aimed at consumers using GLP-1 medications.

New Culture plans to introduce its mozzarella through the foodservice channel, initially partnering with pizzerias before pursuing broader commercial opportunities.

The latest patent follows the company's earlier U.S. Patent No. 11,771,105, granted in 2023, which broadly covers animal-free cheese products made using recombinant alpha casein.