A company developing a non-dairy form of milk said it is motivated by animal welfare and environmental concerns, and is not targeting the New Zealand dairy industry, Radio New Zealand reports.
Muufri, based in California, has received start-up money to develop the milk from yeast which is intended to be indistinguishable from cows' milk.
According to the company its milk formulated from yeast contains the same proteins, fats and vitamins as dairy but with lower cholesterol.
Muufri co-founder Ryan Pandya said the company hopes to be able to present the product to its financial backers by September. It could then take two or three years to refine and mass-produce the milk.
