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Daisy Lab’s Lactoferrin Breakthrough is New Zealand’s Precision Moo-ment


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What if New Zealand could out-milk the cow without a single udder in sight? That’s the promise Daisy Lab's just dropped, successfully pumping out multiple grams per litre of bioidentical bovine lactoferrin using nothing but yeast and a bit of fermentation finesse.


Let’s put this in perspective. The stuff naturally appears in milk at a measly 0.02–0.2 grams per litre. Daisy Lab’s new yields are not just a win, they’re a full-scale protein mic drop. Co-founder and CEO, Irina Miller calls it a “huge breakthrough,” and she’s not wrong. “We’re not only matching, but far exceeding, cow’s limits in producing this valuable protein,” she says. “We are still in development, but this gives us real confidence in the path to scaling, with better unit economics and a more sustainable approach.”

Daisy Lab - Emily McIsaac (Co-Founder -Left) with Irina Miller (Centre) and Nikki Freed (Co-Founder - Right)

Source: Daisy Lab - Emily McIsaac (Co-Founder -Left) with Irina Miller (Centre) and Nikki Freed (Co-Founder - Right)


So what’s lactoferrin, and why should you care? It’s the gold dust of milk proteins, immunity-boosting, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and loaded with functional food potential. It’s a must-have in infant formula, functional drinks, supplements, and gut health capsules. Trouble is, it’s naturally rare and wildly expensive to extract. Daisy Lab’s lab-grown leap could change all that.


Globally, the lactoferrin market is surging. From around US$297 million today, it’s expected to hit nearly half a billion dollars by 2030. That’s a hell of a lot of baby formula and bioactive bars. Until now, companies like FrieslandCampina and Synlait have cornered the supply with old-school dairy extractions. Now, Daisy Lab’s brewing up a challenge, sustainable, animal-free, and scalable.


But don’t call them disruptors. “We don’t see ourselves as disruptors of the dairy industry, but rather as enablers,” Miller says. Their pitch? Help traditional processors future-proof their business by diversifying into microbial dairy. And with fermentation costs still weighed down by downstream processing (sometimes up to 70% of the cost), Daisy Lab’s strategy is smart—plug into existing dairy infrastructure and scale from the inside.


Daisy Lab Branded mock-ups

But there’s also an obvious short-term play: cashflow from consumer-ready bioactive products. With high-yield lactoferrin in hand, Daisy Lab could roll out a fast track of premium immune-support lozenges, probiotic capsules, gut-health powders, or even skincare serums using their precision brew. (Branded mock-ups - PFN Ai Archives left) .The wellness crowd is primed, and global demand is climbing. One well-branded Shopify store later, and Daisy Lab could go direct to consumers with lactoferrin-packed shots, pet supplements, or even “mum & bub” blends, sidestepping red tape while building market traction. Not every breakthrough needs a 10-year FDA detour. Sometimes you just need a gummie that works.


Regulators are already on board. In 2024, New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority gave the green light for Daisy Lab to scale its GMO yeast operations in a contained facility. That decision puts NZ in the ring with global players like TurtleTree, Helaina, and All G Foods, all racing to dominate the bioactive dairy space.


But Daisy Lab isn’t just another clone in the vat. They’ve got the yield, the local dairy ties, and, most importantly, the narrative. The next-gen milk story isn’t about milking cows. It’s about upgrading molecules.


Watch this yeast!



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