Two American bioengineers are working on creating the first no-cow-required glass of milk with genetically engineered yeast. Ryan Padya and Perumal Gandhi hope their San Francisco-based start-up company Muufri can churn out a petri dish product onto the market by 2017. Earlier this year, the Silicon Valley pair started lab trials to mimic cow milk by preserving the right taste and nutritional benefits without the cow.
“If we want the world to change its diet from a product that isn’t sustainable to something that is, it has to be identical [to], or better than, the original product,” Gandhi told National Geographic, which is currently producing a Sustainable Earth: Food series and chose to feature the two milk-making men. “The world will not switch from milk from a cow to the plant-based milks. But if our cow-less milk is identical and priced right, they just might.”
I – Word Understanding
bioengineer – an engineer that deals with biological process to manufacture products
start-up – a business or operation that has just recently started
II – Have Your Say
Is Dairy Bad For You, or Good? Here’s he Milky, Cheesy Truth….and you be the judge:
1. Humans are the only species that consumes milk in adulthood, as well as the milk from another animal.
2. About 3/4 of the world is intolerant to lactose, the main carbohydrate in dairy products.
3. Milk is quite nutritious, but the nutrient composition varies between the different types of dairy.
4. Numerous studies show that dairy products have clear benefits for bone health. They improve bone density in the young and lower the risk of fractures in the elderly.
5. Dairy can stimulate the release of insulin and IGF-1, leading to increased acne and a higher risk of prostate cancer in some studies. However, dairy seems to be protective against colorectal cancer.
298 Synthetic Milk Could Be In Your Fridge By 2017, Boosting Quality Of Health, Environment
