At New Culture, the pursuit of better, sustainable mozzarella and animal-free cheese doesn’t stop at flavor or stretch. While creating an animal-free mozzarella that tastes and behaves like traditional cheese is a breakthrough in itself, the real challenge lies in making it affordable enough for pizza lovers everywhere. This month, New Culture achieved a milestone that proves their mozzarella is not just extraordinary but also on the fast track to becoming accessible for all.
The company has reduced the amount of casein—the protein that gives mozzarella its signature melt and stretch—needed to produce its cheese by an impressive 28%. What’s more, New Culture’s innovative casein now performs so well that it requires half the inclusion rate of casein used in conventional mozzarella. In practical terms, this means they’ve dropped below a critical cost threshold, making their animal-free cheese more economically competitive than ever before. It’s a significant step forward, not only for New Culture’s bottom line but for the larger vision of transforming dairy.
The Power of Casein
To understand the significance of this achievement, it helps to know why casein matters so much. Casein is the unsung hero of cheese—it’s responsible for everything we associate with high-quality mozzarella: the gooey melt, the satisfying stretch, the way it browns to perfection on a pizza fresh from the oven. For years, producing animal-free cheese that delivers all of these qualities has been an elusive goal. Plant-based alternatives often fell short, lacking the mouthfeel, performance, or sheer indulgence of traditional mozzarella. New Culture’s breakthrough lies in its ability to create casein—identical to the animal-based version but made entirely without cows.
The result? A mozzarella that doesn’t compromise. It melts. It stretches. It browns. It tastes like mozzarella—because it is mozzarella, but made in a way that’s kinder to animals and the planet. Yet even with this scientific leap, New Culture has never rested on its laurels. To achieve widespread adoption, they needed to bring down costs, and casein—their most critical ingredient—was where their attention turned.
Pushing Boundaries with Less
The challenge New Culture set for itself was deceptively simple: Could they use less casein without compromising the cheese’s quality? Casein makes up a significant portion of the cost equation in their mozzarella, so reducing its use would have an outsized impact on affordability.
However, achieving that reduction without sacrificing performance required precision. Cheese is a delicate balance of qualities—melt, stretch, bite, browning, and even how it feels on the palate. Change one aspect, and another can easily suffer. Better bite resistance might mean worse melt. A shinier browning surface might impact mouthfeel.
To navigate this, the New Culture team turned to sensory science. Using rigorous testing methods, they broke mozzarella down into 15 distinct attributes—each measurable and scorable. From mouthfeel to oiling off (the way cheese releases fat as it cooks), every detail mattered. Even a novice pizza eater knows when cheese feels off—whether it’s too rubbery, too sticky, or too dry—and New Culture knew their mozzarella had to pass every test to meet the high bar they’d set.
The results exceeded expectations. By carefully reformulating, they achieved a 28% reduction in casein while maintaining all the qualities that make their mozzarella exceptional. Compared to conventional cheese, their casein inclusion rate is now less than half—a remarkable testament to the functionality of their protein.
A Delicate Balance, A Bold Step Forward
Hitting this milestone wasn’t just about making their cheese cheaper to produce; it was about proving what’s possible with precision and ingenuity. Conventional mozzarella has long set the standard for taste and performance. New Culture’s achievement in undercutting its casein inclusion rate—while delivering the same quality—demonstrates the unique power of its animal-free casein.
The implications of this breakthrough are significant. Cheese, especially mozzarella, is ubiquitous—a staple of pizzas, sandwiches, and comfort foods worldwide. For New Culture to truly lead the transition to an animal-free dairy future, their cheese must not only taste great but also compete on cost. This milestone marks a decisive step toward achieving that goal. With fewer resources required to produce each batch, New Culture can scale production more efficiently and move closer to price parity with conventional mozzarella.
Looking Ahead
The New Culture team isn’t stopping here. While reducing casein by 28% is a major accomplishment, they already have their sights set on what’s next: pushing inclusion rates even lower, further refining their processes, and scaling up production. The goal is clear: to make alt- mozzarella so delicious and affordable that it becomes the obvious choice for consumers and food providers alike.
Pizza lovers may not think much about casein when they bite into a slice of bubbling mozzarella-topped pizza—but New Culture does. Their success in reducing casein is more than a cost milestone; it’s proof of what’s possible when science, determination, and a love for cheese come together. The future of dairy is being written slice by slice, and with every breakthrough, New Culture makes that future a little more delicious and a lot more sustainable.
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