“From Disappointment to Innovation: How a Bad Bagel Inspired Perfect Day’s Animal-Free Dairy Revolution”
For many, a disappointing bagel is merely a fleeting regret. However, for Ryan Pandya, co-founder of Perfect Day, an animal-free dairy company, that bagel marked a pivotal moment in his life. Back in 2014, Pandya, who holds a degree in chemical and biological engineering, was employed at a medical antibody company in Boston. As a vegan, he found it challenging to enjoy a bagel with cream cheese, prompting him to search extensively for a suitable alternative. He ended up paying a premium for a vegan version, only to discover it was dreadful.
“It had a disappointing, runny texture and a cardboard-like flavor,” Pandya recalled. “That imitation cream cheese was a turning point for me; it ignited my curiosity about what was missing in vegan cream cheese that made it so unpalatable.” The answer was clear: milk. Dairy products benefit from certain proteins that enhance their flavor and nutritional profile, something that plant-based alternatives struggle to replicate. This revelation led Pandya to ponder the biochemical processes behind milk protein production. “If only we could produce milk without cows,” he mused. “Of course, we can. That’s what I do at work every day,” he said. “I was using technology to create medicinal proteins; why not apply that to food ingredients?”
Sharing his idea with a friend connected him to Perumal Gandhi, a biotechnology graduate student. Together, they founded Perfect Day and secured a $30,000 grant from IndieBio to research their concept. An article detailing their findings caught the attention of Horizons Ventures, which invested $2 million in 2014 to help launch the company. Fast forward five years, and Perfect Day has raised a total of $61.5 million from Horizons Ventures and Temasek Holdings. Last year, they partnered with ADM to produce animal-free dairy ingredients on a large scale. Recently, the company announced its first product launch: three flavors of ice cream available on their website. Pandya emphasized that they are poised to transform food production.
“What began as a wild idea is now entirely feasible,” he stated. Perfect Day operates without cows, utilizing a fundamentally different approach to dairy production than traditional methods. Pandya sees the company as part of the dairy industry and reports that the sector has welcomed them. While the dairy alternatives market is well established, Perfect Day is genuinely engaged in dairy, albeit in a more sustainable manner.
“It’s about restoring pride in dairy,” Pandya explained. “Our objective is to create a new category that appeals to consumers seeking sustainable options without undermining the dairy industry or impacting everyday farmers.” He describes Perfect Day as “dairy done responsibly.” According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, butter and cheese rank among the most polluting foods, producing significant carbon emissions during their production. Many consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability; nearly half of U.S. consumers indicated they would reconsider their purchasing choices based on sustainability factors.
Pandya pointed out other issues consumers have with conventional dairy. “It’s hard to find anyone in America who supports factory farming,” he remarked. “That’s the perspective we share with farmers; if we alleviate commodity pressures by doing more with less, it could leave more room for those who genuinely care for the cows and farmers.” The key to Perfect Day’s innovation lies in fermentation. While most consumers associate milk with cows in barns, Pandya believes they can easily grasp how the company operates.
“The principles we’re using are ancient and familiar,” he said. “Everyone understands what dairy is—milk has been around for about 10,000 years—and fermentation is widely recognized, whether in beer or wine production.” Pandya emphasized that nearly every modern food product not directly sourced from plants or animals involves some form of fermentation. He believes that the perception of strangeness surrounding their processes stems from a lack of understanding about fermentation.
“We’ve been surprised by how pervasive fermentation is, yet we’re the first to openly discuss it,” Pandya said. “And we love to share it because it’s incredibly fascinating.” After five years of developing their dairy products in small batches, Perfect Day is now ready to introduce their items to the market. Starting today, consumers can purchase three ice cream flavors made with Perfect Day’s dairy protein: Milky Chocolate, Vanilla Salted Fudge, and Vanilla Blackberry Toffee.
“What we’re doing is groundbreaking,” Pandya stated in a press release. “We wanted our initial launch to showcase our brand to highlight the consumer benefits of our protein while sparking a dialogue about this innovative food production approach.” Although these new products bear the Perfect Day label, Pandya noted that future offerings might not. This strategy is part of their collaboration with ADM, a major global ingredients company capable of producing sufficient dairy protein for a variety of products, from milk to cheese. Pandya explained that one of Perfect Day’s founding goals was to instigate meaningful change in the industry. If they only focus on producing a few products, they wouldn’t fulfill their true mission.
Their aim is to educate consumers about Perfect Day and its technology, without necessarily pushing for brand recognition. “We want people to realize that they can find Perfect Day components in various products,” Pandya said. “Think of it like ‘Intel Inside,’ a badge or emblem indicating that the product is enriched with the nutritional and functional benefits of dairy.” Currently, cows are the sole source of traditional dairy products, requiring substantial resources and transportation to reach consumers.
In regions where dairy farms are nearby, supply chains function smoothly; however, in places like the Caribbean, dairy products can be costly and have limited shelf lives. Pandya believes fermentation technology can provide fresh dairy products globally, as fermentation tanks are easier to deploy than establishing dairy farms in challenging environments.
The primary challenge facing Perfect Day now is scaling up production. “We’re in Year Five, nearing the point of full commercial capacity, but we need to increase our output by a factor of 10,000 to partner effectively with multinational brands,” Pandya said. ADM is assisting in this endeavor, and raising awareness about the company and its product quality will help build scale. Exciting developments are anticipated soon.
“Our mission has always been impact—creating a kinder, greener planet,” Gandhi stated in a written statement. “The best way to achieve this is by collaborating with food companies that consume vast amounts of dairy ingredients. As our B2B agreements materialize, we’re eager to share our progress.” Additionally, Pandya noted that they are exploring partnerships with brands like Bariatric Advantage, which offers soft chews that could benefit from Perfect Day’s innovative dairy protein technology, further expanding their reach in the market.
