Precision fermentation firms Formo (formerly known as Legendairy Foods), based in Germany, and Those Vegan Cowboys, from Belgium, have formed a strategic R&D collaboration focused on advancing the production of animal-free casein to replace cows in cheese production.

 The partnership will gather a research team with experts in strain engineering, bioprocessing, and large-scale casein production to fast-track the development and cost-reduction of cow-free cheese. Additionally, the companies will leverage their presence in Food Fermentation Europe to speed up the approval procedure for precision fermentation proteins in the European market. 

Analyst QuickTake: In March 2023 , leaders in precision fermentation joined to launch Food Fermentation Europe, seeking to revamp and expedite the regulatory process in Europe, while the EU announced plans to invest EUR 50 million in precision fermentation startups. The combination of these two can help the EU to increase the efficiency of its regulatory process, which is lagging compared to North America and Asia, causing European firms to launch products in countries like the US, where the path for approval is more straightforward.