Remilk’s Cow-Free Milk Heads to Israeli Shelves
Remilk is an Israeli startup whose board of directors already includes executives from Danone, Pepsico, and Nestle, among the largest food companies in the world. Its website claims the Remilk is “identical to its traditional counterpart!” and the company touts goals to “save our planet” by “working around the clock to make sure choosing our products over old-fashioned dairy is a no-brainer.” These claims set the tone for a product that mixes heavy industry backing with bold environmental messaging.
Starting early next year, Israelis will find a new kind of milk on supermarket shelves — milk made without cows. Remilk announced it will begin selling lab-produced milk made from dairy proteins through a partnership with Gad Dairies from next year, according to a report by The Times of Israel. That launch is framed as one of the first large-scale commercial rollouts of animal-free dairy.
The company says the product tastes exactly like conventional milk, and from January it will offer two variants: a 3 per cent fat milk and a vanilla-flavoured version, both sold under the New Milk label. Both are lactose-free, cholesterol-free, and made without antibiotics or hormones, positioning them as alternatives aimed at both taste and dietary concerns. A separate Barista line meant for cafés and restaurants is due to appear within days of the consumer launch.
Remilk’s founders say prices will be similar to other milk alternatives such as soy or almond milk, but they argue this product is genuine dairy because it contains the same milk proteins as cow’s milk. The advertised difference is simple: no cows are involved in the production process. Whether shoppers accept that distinction will shape how quickly animal-free dairy moves beyond early adopters.
The approval process began years earlier, when Israel’s health ministry cleared Remilk’s products for sale more than two years ago, opening the door for a commercial debut. The company is also in talks to enter the US market, where regulators and consumers are watching closely. That international interest reflects both market potential and the scale challenges for new production methods.
Other players are already working in this space: food giant Strauss Group has launched cow-free drinks and cream cheese made using similar precision fermentation technology through Imagindairy, another Israeli startup. This wave of companies has led some observers to call it a “post-cow era” and to predict significant shifts in the global dairy industry. The comparison highlights how multiple firms are racing to commercialize variations of the same core idea.
Lab-grown milk, also called animal-free dairy, is real dairy produced without cows. Unlike plant-based alternatives such as almond or soy milk, lab-grown dairy contains actual milk proteins like casein and whey that match the proteins in conventional milk. Producers assemble those proteins with fats and carbohydrates to recreate the texture and cooking behavior people expect from dairy.
- Mammary cell cultures: Cow mammary cells are grown in bioreactors that naturally produce milk.
- Precision fermentation: Scientists insert milk-producing genes into microbes such as yeast, which then secrete milk proteins when fed sugar.
The finished product is designed to look, taste, and behave like traditional milk, so it can be frothed for coffee, turned into cheese, or churned into ice cream. Promoters highlight reduced environmental costs and fewer animal welfare issues as major advantages. Still, the comparison to conventional dairy is based on matching key components, not replicating every biological nuance.
On paper, lab-grown milk is engineered to mirror conventional milk’s nutritional profile, including proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and it contains all nine essential amino acids along with comparable calcium levels. Controlled production also makes it easier to tweak fat content or remove lactose for those who are intolerant. For example, Remilk’s New Milk is lactose-free, which addresses a common dietary restriction without resorting to plant-based substitutes.
Cost remains the biggest obstacle; producing milk proteins in bioreactors is expensive and large-scale facilities are still scarce. Regulations are shifting too, with many countries requiring allergen warnings because the products contain the same milk proteins as cows’ milk. Finally, public perception is a hurdle: building trust so people will pour lab-grown milk into their morning coffee will be a slow process, especially since scientists note some complex components like immune cells and specific lipids are not fully replicated.
Israel has become a hub for animal-free dairy innovation, with names like Remilk, Wilk, and Imagindairy leading development, while Singapore and several US and Canadian players move forward under evolving regulatory frameworks. Europe is testing the idea more cautiously because of tight food safety laws, and India’s large dairy market faces cultural and regulatory headwinds that will determine uptake. Ultimately, whether lab-grown milk becomes mainstream will depend on cost, regulation, and consumer acceptance rather than the technology alone.