Dutch Startup Vivici Unveils Animal-Free Lactoferrin with Self-Affirmed GRAS Status

Dutch food tech startup Vivici has launched its animal-free lactoferrin protein under the Vivitein brand, after self-determining its GRAS status in the US.

Precision fermentation firm Vivici is aiming to expand access to functional and sustainable nutrition with the US rollout of a whey protein colloquially known as ‘pink gold’.

The Netherlands-based startup has officially launched its animal-free lactoferrin ingredient, called Vivitein LF, following its self-determination of the ingredient’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status.

Our self-affirmed GRAS conclusion is supported by a rigorous and comprehensive safety assessment, including extensive analytical characterization confirming the purity, potency, and safety of our lactoferrin,” Vivici CEO Stephan van Sint Fiet tells Green Queen.

“We are now finalising our GRAS dossier and intend to submit a notification to the FDA in the coming months, consistent with our commitment to transparency, regulatory excellence, and long-term partnership with our customers.”

Vivitein LF is the second whey protein commercialised by Vivici, following the launch of it beta-lactoglobulin ingredient, and is designed to unlock an ingredient that is highly sought after, but too rare and expensive to be widely available.

“Our Vivitein functional proteins are deliberately designed to run on the same precision fermentation manufacturing platform,” says van Sint Fiet.

“As a result, Vivitein LF will leverage the infrastructure, technical expertise and supply chain foundations already established for Vivitein BLG, enabling efficient scale-up while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality and consistency.”

Vivici targets gut, sports and women’s health with lactoferrin

Lactoferrin is a protein found in breast milk and bovine colostrum, and is revered for its iron-regulating, gut health and immune-strengthening properties. It’s used to treat low iron levels during pregnancy, and lowers the risk of respiratory tract infections. The ‘pink gold’ moniker is a nod to its rosy hue and slate of health benefits.

However, it’s present in small concentrations in cow’s milk – extracting 1kg of purified lactoferrin requires at least 10,000 litres of milk. This strains supplies and drives up the price of the ingredient, which ranges from $600 to $2,000 per kg, meaning most of its stock is reserved for infant nutrition and supplements.

Several precision fermentation companies are targeting the protein for use in functional foods and drinks, protein powders, and sports and elderly nutrition. The technology involves inserting DNA into microbes to teach them to produce specific molecules when fermented.

“Lactoferrin has tremendous potential. Its supply is constrained and the low natural abundance of lactoferrin in milk makes it a costly protein. It is therefore an ideal product to make by precision fermentation. A fermentation-derived lactoferrin can be reliably available all year round, at the same price and with consistently high quality,” says van Sint Fiet.

“With Vivitein LF, Vivici provides nutrition innovators with a lactoferrin ingredient that solves the supply and cost issues associated with traditionally produced lactoferrin and enables health and wellness brands to develop transformational consumer products.”

Vivici’s lactoferrin has 95% purity, can fit into an array of health and wellness products for consumers, including the performance recovery, gut health, women’s wellbeing, and sustained vitality verticals.

For instance, Vivitein LF optimises the microbiome balance, strengthens the gut barrier, restricts undesirable bacteria, and prevents gut inflammation. It also mobilises iron to enhance uptake by the body (addressing a key deficiency for many women), working with both dietary iron and supplements, and reduces digestive discomfort.

For athletes and those with active lifestyles, the cow-free lactoferrin ingredient fights inflammation, speeds up recovery and return to exercise, and lowers the risk of injury.

“Vivitein LF is a bioactive protein focused on targeted health-support benefits. Its associations with iron utilisation, gut health, immune support, and recovery make it well-suited to formats such as functional shots, ready-to-mix beverages, dietary supplements and gummies,” notes the Vivici CEO.

Vivici expects lactoferrin launch by early 2027 amid scale-up

“The question that will define the health and wellness industry for years to come is: ‘How can we help the body’s own system maintain health from within?” syas van Sint Fiet. “Innovators who effectively fulfil this unmet consumer demand with innovative and transformative health products leveraging breakthrough proteins, such as Vivitein LF, will succeed.

Vivici is one of several startups that are working on recombinant human or bovine lactoferrin, which has gained popularity due to the cost economics. Proteins like whey and casein are cheap and hard to match, but lactoferrin’s already premium pricing and limited supply give precision fermentation startups an opportunity to disrupt this market more quickly.

Helaina, TurtleTree and All G are cleared to sell their versions in the US. And others in this space include Eden Brew, PFx Biotech, Daisy Lab, De Novo Foodlabs and Eclipse Ingredients.

“We have initiated early development work with several innovative health and wellness brands responding to growing demand for bioactive ingredients that support the body’s own systems to maintain health from within,” says van Sint Fiet. “Based on current timelines, we expect to see the first breakthrough commercial product launches in late 2026 or early 2027.”

Vivici, which raised $34.7M in Series A funding last year, has already commercialised its flagship Vivitein BLG ingredient, a precision-fermented beta-lactoglobulin protein. This can be used in meal replacements, functional beverages, nutrition bars, dairy and alternative products, confectionery, bakery mixes, meat and egg analogues, protein shots, and post-workout sodas, among other applications.

“By launching two innovative proteins in 24 months, we are demonstrating greater speed and capital efficiency than any other player in this space. Now, we will move forward with a differentiated and de-risked dairy protein portfolio at a time when the market most needs it,” van Sint Fiet wrote in a LinkedIn post.

The firm is now working to expand its manufacturing capacity to establish a global supply network, while accelerating market access for its animal-free ingredients to more categories and geographies.

As part of that effort, Vivici has partnered with precision-fermented egg startup The Every Company and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to explore the establishment of an industrial-scale novel protein facility in the Emirati capital.

“We are currently manufacturing Vivitein BLG in Asia, with additional manufacturing partners scheduled to come online in late 2026 and throughout 2027 as we expand global capacity,” van Sint Fiet says. “This phased manufacturing footprint approach ensures resilience, geographic diversification, and the ability to scale in line with customer demand.”