130722Developing a novel process to produce an alternative non-dairy ‘milk’ product (MMILK)ClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKThe aim of the project is to develop the optimal technological process to produce a novel nutritious, ‘health-promoting’ product as an alternative to dairy milk and dairy milk-derived products that can be produced using safe, UK derived, traceable ingredients. The project involves early stage applied research including a small-scale feasibility study with two objectives: i) to identify the most suitable microbiological cultures for the novel process of producing a non-dairy milk product and ii) to refine this process by culture isolation according to end-product requirements. The project is innovative in two ways – it is aiming to develop both a new process and a novel product. If successful the project will provide the necessary evidence that ‘in principle’ the application of a new process for deriving a non-dairy alternative ‘milk’ using a proprietary biological agent is feasible. The intention is to develop this process further into a larger commercial trial and establish an industrial scale cost-effective method to process the ingredients into a liquid protein preparation as an alternative to dairy milk and dairy milk-derived products.