Better Dairy secures US safety milestone for precision-fermented lactopontin

British biotechnology company Better Dairy has reached a regulatory milestone for its precision-fermented lactopontin, completing a self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) determination that allows it to move forward with plans to commercialize the ingredient in the US nutrition market.

• Better Dairy has completed a self-affirmed GRAS determination for its precision-fermented lactopontin ingredient in the US.
• The company is targeting applications in healthy aging, gut health, immunity, skin health and sports recovery.
• Customer product launches are being planned for the coming months, with additional regulatory work underway in Europe and Asia.

The company claims to have developed the world's first precision-fermented supply of lactopontin and says it is currently the only commercially available source of the protein in the US. Better Dairy is already working with customers on products expected to launch in the coming months.

Lactopontin, also known as osteopontin, is a naturally occurring protein found in human and bovine milk. Unlike conventional dietary proteins, which are generally consumed for their amino acid content, lactopontin is involved in biological signaling processes associated with tissue growth, repair and renewal.

Better Dairy believes these properties could make it an attractive ingredient for manufacturers developing products for healthy aging, digestive health, immune support, joint health, skin health and sports recovery.

The commercial opportunity rests partly on the difficulty of obtaining lactopontin through conventional dairy processing. Although the protein occurs naturally in milk, extracting sufficient quantities for use as a standalone functional ingredient has historically presented practical challenges.

Precision fermentation offers an alternative production route, allowing Better Dairy to manufacture the protein without relying on its extraction from milk. The company says its process has enabled it to establish a high-quality supply suitable for commercial ingredient development.
The GRAS determination follows the preparation of an extensive safety dossier examining the ingredient's composition, manufacturing process, purity, specifications and safety.

An independent panel of qualified experts reviewed the evidence and unanimously concluded that Better Dairy's lactopontin was safe under its intended conditions of use.

Importantly, self-affirmed GRAS is not the same as formal approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. Under the US regulatory framework, companies can independently establish GRAS status using appropriate scientific evidence and expert review without submitting a notification to the FDA.

For Better Dairy, the determination provides a safety basis for the ingredient's intended uses and allows the company to progress its US commercialization plans.

Jevan Nagarajah, Founder and CEO of Better Dairy, believes lactopontin represents an opportunity to develop nutrition products that work differently from many existing supplements.

"For decades, nutrition has largely been about giving the body more of something – more protein, more vitamins, more minerals. We believe the next big opportunity is different – it's about understanding how nutrition can help the body make better use of its own biology. Lactopontin represents that opportunity."

The company is particularly interested in how lactopontin could be combined with established functional ingredients rather than marketed as a replacement for them.

Collagen, lactoferrin and probiotics are among the ingredients Better Dairy identifies as potential partners in formulations designed to address specific consumer needs.

This approach could allow manufacturers to incorporate lactopontin into existing product categories while developing formulations that combine different biological functions. Better Dairy sees opportunities for ingredient combinations in areas such as recovery, gut health and healthy aging, although the benefits of individual formulations would require appropriate supporting evidence.

"We're bringing a naturally occurring signaling protein into nutrition and supplements, with the potential to create an entirely new generation of functional products," Nagarajah said.

The milestone also reflects a broader development in Better Dairy's business. Having established its precision fermentation capabilities, the company is now concentrating on translating its technology into ingredients that manufacturers can incorporate into commercial products.

"Achieving Self-Affirmed GRAS is a key step for us. It means we're moving beyond our foundations, developing world-leading science, and opening the door to real commercial applications," Nagarajah said.

While the US represents its immediate commercial priority, Better Dairy is pursuing separate regulatory pathways in Europe and Asia. It is also seeking additional US regulatory clearances, including for applications in early-life nutrition.

Those efforts remain distinct from the current GRAS determination, which covers the ingredient under its specified intended conditions of use.

Better Dairy will present lactopontin to manufacturers and brand owners at SupplySide Global in Las Vegas from October 28-30, 2026. The company will exhibit at Booth 1016, where its team plans to meet potential customers and partners interested in developing products using the ingredient.

The event comes as Better Dairy prepares for its first customer launches, with the company seeking to establish lactopontin as a commercially accessible ingredient for the US functional nutrition and supplements market.

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