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Nestlé has begun testing its first animal-free milk product, Cowabunga, in collaboration with alt-dairy startup, Perfect Day. The whey protein is made in Perfect Day’s brewing tanks where microflora digest nutrients from plants and turn them into a milk protein. Perfect Day gives the microflora the precise DNA sequence that serves as a blueprint for how to make cow whey protein – getting the DNA blueprint does not require any animal involvement. According to Cowabunga, the animal-free protein used in its milk emits up to 80% less greenhouse gas emissions and up to 94% less water, compared to that of traditional dairy milk. Cowabunga currently offers two varieties of its animal-free milk, Original and Chocolate, that are naturally lactose and cholesterol free and are a source of protein and vitamins. The beverages are being trialled in Safeway stores across California, US.