Perfect Day Forms Sustainability & Health Council

Brad Avery Apr. 22, 2021 at 5:46 PM

Foodtech company Perfect Day, which produces a whey protein isolate from non-animal sources for use in dairy alternative food and beverage products, announced this week the formation of its Sustainability & Health Advisory Council, intended to consult the company on environmental concerns and health and wellness issues. Among the founding members are actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman.

What is Perfect Day?

Founded in 2014 by CEO Ryan Pandya and co-founder Perumal Gandhi, Perfect Day produces vegan, non-dairy whey proteins using fermented microflora.
The company initially planned to go to market with its own line of dairy alternative products, but pivoted in 2019 to providing animal-free ingredients for other brands.
Products using Perfect Day’s ingredients were first released last year through partnerships with ice cream brands N!ck’s, Graeter’s and Brave Robot, the latter of which it co-founded.
According to a third party-validated internal study, Perfect Day found its whey protein production generates between 85%-97% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other protein producers.

What is the Sustainability & Health Council?

According to a press release, the council’s experts will work as an outside advisor to the company, focusing on evaluating its environmental impact as it scales operations, holding the company accountable to its goals, and supplying “diverse perspectives to help Perfect Day navigate challenges at the intersection of health, agriculture, sustainability, food and technology.”

The new council is composed of eight founding members:

Leonardo DiCaprio, actor and environmentalist
Ann M. Veneman, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President George W. Bush
Okezue Bell, AI developer and CEO of Fidutam & Co.
Katharine Kreis, Peace Corps Eswatini country director
Danielle Nierenberg, president of Food Tank
Mary Shelman, former head of Harvard Business School Agribusiness
David Stukus, MD, pediatric allergist and researcher
Dariush Mozaffarian, professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University.

While there is a myriad of food and beverage industry councils and groups that consult companies on environmental issues, the Sustainability & Health Council will specifically work with Perfect Day on its practices. Notably, Perfect Day is not a member of B Corp, the Plant Based Foods Association or other industry groups focused on sustainability or policy making.

In an email to BevNET, Pandya said Perfect Day, in addition to forming its own council, is actively vetting other organizations to partner with on its sustainability and health initiatives.

“We’re looking to make meaningful contributions and create shared value through collaboration and are already speaking with several academic, industry and public groups and initiatives,” he said.

What Does it Mean?

Perfect Day isn’t the only company exploring the world of lab-grown dairy proteins: startups such as Isreal-based Remilk — which raised $11.3 million to fuel global expansion last December — are also attracting interest from investors and strategics. But in forming a star-powered advisory board, Perfect Day could be looking to stay ahead of a range of potential issues and challenges as it scales by deepening its credentials across a range of disciplines, while also bringing on some star power.

“Through convening moments and individual conversations, we’ll look to this group to help us address the significant issues with the greatest potential for impact and hold us accountable,” Pandya told BevNET. “As we look to bring on new partners and expand into new categories and geographies this year, they’ll be with us every step of the way.”

A 2020 report by IBM and the National Retail Federation found that 57% of 18,980 global consumers surveyed said they are willing to change purchasing habits to reduce negative environmental impact and 71% said traceability was an important quality in the brands they buy and are willing to pay premium prices for products from transparent companies. Within the food and beverage sector, 44% of consumers polled identified as purpose-driven consumers whose purchasing habits reflect their lifestyles and health and wellness concerns, more than any other business sector analyzed.

Adding Leonardo DiCaprio, an outspoken environmentalist and advocate for plant-based diets, also raises Perfect Day’s public profile. DiCaprio has previously aligned himself with plant-based and mission-driven brands, including as an investor in Califia Farms, Hippeas and Runa, among others.

Beyond the council, Perfect Day also commissioned a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of its environmental impact, which was certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), showing the company’s production generates between 85%-97% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional whey protein production methods. The company said it intends to continue issuing reports and updates on its environmental impact through future studies.

Pandya added that Perfect Day hopes to collaborate with other companies in its sustainability mission going forward.

“Our mission is urgent, and we can’t make it a reality on our own,” he said. “The door is open to making our informal collaborations with our peers in sustainability and health into the right industry partnership or coalition. Ultimately, a positive step forward for one is positive for all and this is just one of the many collaborative efforts to come from Perfect Day.”