Perfect Day, an animal-free technology startup announced a new advisory board with a diverse group of members, that includes actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio.
Founded in 2014 Perfect Day is establishing a new food category, animal-free dairy, with its innovative technology that removes the cow from the production by relying on microbial fermentation.
“A full-fledged response to climate change must bring innovation to all aspects of our daily lives—including to the foods we consume,”
“Perfect Day's forward-looking vision offers a new model for reducing the impact that our diets have on the planet. I'm pleased to be part of their advisory council and work together to support our shared urgent environmental mission.”
DiCaprio
The company manufactures vegan, dairy-identical whey proteins by inserting a cow's DNA sequence into microflora. The flora then takes the place of a cow and undergoes an acellular (without animal cells) fermentation process producing a big amount of proteins that can be used as a base for “flora-based” products that are indistinguishable from dairy foods such as milk, cheese, and ice cream.
This equation takes out the animal from the formula, Perfect Day's process is far more environmentally friendly than traditional dairy production.
Perfect Day's affirmed that whey protein generates at least 85 percent and up to 97 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional whey production methods.
In addition to DiCaprio, the founding members of Perfect Day's new sustainability council include experts across agriculture, health and wellness, food policy, sustainability, and nutrition such as Katharine Kreis (head of global nutrition at the United States Peace Corps); Ann M. Veneman (former US Secretary of Agriculture and UNICEF executive director); and Dariush Mozaffarian (an expert cardiologist). These new members will be responsible for advising the company on its roadmap to comply with the most significant food and environmental issues.
In July 2019, Perfect Day released a 1,000-pint, limited-batch of ice cream which with a price tag of $20+ per pint and it sold out within 24 hours.
Perfect Day's animal-free whey protein is now used by a few ice cream companies that include Smitten Ice Cream shop, Swedish-style ice cream brand N!CK'S, and Graeter's Ice Cream—America's oldest family-run craft ice cream maker founded in 1870 which launched its first vegan line, with the help of Perfect Day, last year.
Perfect Day is also working on new developments in the animal-free cheese space.
“We began Perfect Day with a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow. Our mission is urgent, and the direction of this group will help us maximize our impact,”
“Leonardo DiCaprio and our other Council members share our passion and hunger to combat the climate crisis and foster a global food system that prioritizes nutrition equity. Together, we'll work to bring more nutritious, scalable, and sustainable options to people around the world.”
Mr. Pandya, Perfect Day CEO
