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Nestlé has announced it will pilot a product made with Perfect Day’s whey protein, as it explores emerging technologies in the animal-free dairy category. The product, which will be introduced in the US later this year, was developed by Nestlé R&D teams in Switzerland. It features animal-free protein – produced through precision fermentation – that is molecularly identical to the whey protein found in cow's milk. The company plans to pilot the novel offering through its newly established US R+D Accelerator, bringing it to market later in 2022 as a test-and-learn. The accelerator was created with the aim of bringing highly differentiated product concepts to the market in only six months. Heike Steiling, head of Nestlé's Development Center for dairy products, said: “As the world's largest food and beverage company, delivering foods and beverages that are good for people and the planet is a priority”. “We are exploring emerging technologies that can lead to animal-friendly alternatives that are nutritious and sustainable, without compromising on taste, flavour and texture. “Bringing together our unmatched R&D expertise, innovation capabilities and scale, we are working to develop and test novel animal-free dairy protein-based products to complement our wide-ranging portfolio of plant-based alternatives.” Joanna Yarbrough, head of the R+D Accelerator, added: “We are excited to pilot Nestlé's first animal-free dairy protein-based products through our US R+D Accelerator”. “While this category is still very young, we know consumers are looking for products that have a reduced environmental footprint, and we are evaluating this avenue as a future growth opportunity for our business.” Alongside exploring technologies for the development of animal-free dairy protein products, Nestlé says that it also continues to investigate and invest in solutions to make conventional dairy more climate friendly, as well as launch plant-based alternatives.