Artificial Milk is Next ‘Frankenfood’

The contemporary factory-farmed meat and dairy-producing industry is an egregious polluter, and just as the crisis has inspired “fake foods” like the Impossible Burger, genetically recombined Trichoderma reesei fungus is producing synthetic versions of dairy proteins casein and whey for Perfect Day, a company founded in 2014 by two vegan bioengineers looking for an animal-free milk. The cow genes used can be obtained from hair or even a swab, and are catalogued in free scientific databases. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already given the genetically engineered proteins the status of Generally Recognized As Safe, although it’s unknown what the long-term consequences of ingestion will be.

Vandana Shiva, a founder of Navdanya, an Indian-based, non-governmental organization that promotes biodiversity conservation, biodiversity, organic farming, the rights of farmers and the process of seed saving, says, “On a small scale, you can help by supporting your local organic and regenerative farmers by purchasing their goods at local farmers’ markets or purchasing your meat and dairy products directly from your local farm, while avoiding lab-produced fake food for the sake of your health and the planet’s.”