TurtleTree & Strive to Launch Health-Focused Beverages Powered by Animal-Free Lactoferrin – vegconomist
Singaporean precision fermentation company TurtleTree announces a new commercial partnership with Strive Nutrition, an F&B company bringing novel proteins to market, for LF+, claimed to be the world’s first GRAS and vegan-certified animal-free lactoferrin.
The companies will introduce two health-focused products in the USA by 2025: an immunity support beverage for adults and a ready-to-mix protein powder targeted for sports nutrition. According to the announcement, the collaboration aims to capitalize on the growing functional beverage market, where 83% of US consumers currently drink functional beverages as part of their self-care routine.
“…they are targeting an industry and segment of a population that is only growing globally”
The news follows TurtleTree’s first-ever commercial partnership to launch a functional espresso featuring LF+ with Cadence Performance Coffee.
Fengru Lin, TurtleTree’s CEO, expressed her excitement about the partnership: “We are looking forward to supporting Strive with our lactoferrin in order to continue providing their target audience with more functional food products to support longevity. We love that they are targeting an industry and segment of a population that is only growing globally and is ripe for more innovation in the market.”
Health benefits of lactoferrin
Strive, which focuses on animal-free, vegan-certified products offering extensive health benefits, has launched FREEMILK, an alternative milk made with fermentation-derived whey protein by the Californian company Perfect Day. Recently, FREEMILK was served at the Miami Open, marking a significant milestone for animal-free dairy proteins.
By incorporating LF+ into its immunity support beverage, Strive can offer consumers the unique benefits of lactoferrin for gut health, iron regulation, and immune support while also providing the recommended daily vitamins. The new immunity support beverage will come in an 8-oz carton, containing 12-15 grams of whey protein and 250 mg of LF+, along with 23 essential vitamins and minerals.
According to TurtleTree, lactoferrin additionally provides digestive health and aids athletes’ performance, including endurance, fatigue resistance, muscle strength, and energetic efficiency.
Dennis Cohlmia, Strive’s CEO, comments: “We created these products for a first launch into adult nutrition for consumers who are concerned about longevity and wellness. The health attributes of bovine lactoferrin and colostrum are extensive and becoming more known to the general public.”
Alternative cost-effective proteins
TurtleTree’s LF+ technology addresses the shortage of lactoferrin in the market by making it more accessible to infant, adult, and elderly consumers. Bovine lactoferrin sells for $700 to $1,500 per kilogram because it is challenging and costly to obtain: many liters of milk are needed to get just 1 kg of purified lactoferrin.
Last November, TurtleTree obtained the FDA’s GRAS status for LF+, confirming that it is safe for human consumption and allowing the company to commercialize it in the USA.
“Now, we can have an animal-free lactoferrin with prebiotics that is made through precision fermentation, vegan-certified, and cruelty-free”
LF+ can enhance the nutrition of infant formulas, plant-based dairy, and sports nutrition products, including protein powders, functional beverages, meal replacement alternatives, and multivitamins. The Singaporean biotech company says that multiple clients have shown interest in buying a $500 million value of animal-free lactoferrin over the next five years.
Cohlmia adds, “Now, we can have an animal-free lactoferrin with prebiotics that is made through precision fermentation, vegan-certified, and cruelty-free. We’ve known the team at TurtleTree for several years and have worked closely with them as they have developed the LF+. They are the only company with a commercial product that meets FDA Self-GRAS.”
