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US-based animal-free dairy company New Culture has strengthened its intellectual property portfolio after securing a second US patent covering cheese made with animal-free casein, reinforcing its position in the emerging precision fermentation dairy sector.

The newly granted patent focuses specifically on mozzarella made using the company's proprietary animal-free casein, while an earlier patent granted in 2023 provides broader protection for cheese products made using recombinant alpha casein across multiple cheese types, formulations and production processes.

Casein is the primary protein responsible for cheese's texture, stretch, melt and mouthfeel. Rather than sourcing the protein from animal milk, New Culture produces animal-free casein through the fermentation of sugars before using it as the key ingredient in its dairy-free cheese products.

According to the company, its patent portfolio covers cheese made using animal-free alpha casein from a range of dairy species, including cow, sheep, goat, buffalo and camel. The protected technology encompasses functional characteristics associated with conventional cheese, including stretch, adhesiveness, creaminess, flexibility and melt performance.

New Culture said it has developed proprietary expertise in producing animal-free alpha-S1 casein at commercial scale through fermentation, with the protein serving as the sole dairy protein source in its cheese formulations.

The company is preparing to launch its animal-free mozzarella through the foodservice channel, initially targeting pizzerias. Alongside its own product rollout, New Culture said it has partnered with global consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to explore applications for its casein ingredient across a wider range of dairy and nutrition products.

Potential applications include yogurt, creamers and beverages, as well as protein-focused products for sports nutrition, metabolic health and everyday consumption. The company also highlighted opportunities for casein in the growing GLP-1 nutrition category, citing the protein's role in satiety and sustained recovery.

New Culture said it is continuing to pursue additional patent protection covering the use of its animal-free casein technology in both food and non-food applications.

The latest patent has been issued as US Patent No. 12,635,703, while the company's broader patent covering animal-free alpha casein cheese was granted in 2023 under US Patent No. 11,771,105.