Protein Production Technology Podcast · FPG Media

Special Episode: Stéphane Mac Millan - Verley

·28 min·1 clip

Verley’s life-cycle assessment says precision-fermented milk proteins cut greenhouse gases 72%, water 82%, and arable land 99%.

1. Protein Production Technology International hosts Stéphane Mac Millan, CEO and co-founder of Verley, to discuss precision-fermented dairy proteins. 2. Nick frames Verley as an ingredient company, and Stéphane explains why B2B strategy matters for R&D, partnerships, and specifications. 3. The episode asks how Verley’s approach can help the dairy industry meet rising protein demand with lower environmental cost. 4. Stéphane says dairy demand is growing 7% to 8% a year while U.S. production is stagnating and Europe is declining. 5. He links that gap to trends such as high-protein diets and protein needs around GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. 6. He says cows cannot simply be added at scale, and productivity per cow has already reached its maximum. 7. He argues that cows also require land and water and generate greenhouse gas emissions that the industry has to address. 8. Verley positions precision fermentation as a way to make the proteins in milk without using cows. 9. The rebrand to Verley is explained as a choice for an easier international name that still keeps French roots tied to Lyon. 10. Stéphane describes Firmway as beta-lactoglobulin, not a generic whey protein, and says its purity has reached close to 98%. 11. He says Verley was the first company to focus on functionalization, including solubility, heat stability, and gelification. 12. He says customers value the purity, the nutritional profile, and the possibility of cleaner labels without texturizers or additives. 13. He says adoption looks similar across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East because people everywhere want more protein. 14. He says the speed of adoption differs mainly because U.S. regulatory approval is faster than Europe’s two-to-three-year pathway. 15. Native 100 was developed from customer requests for very high-purity BLG for clear drinks and protein shots with no turbidity. 16. Stéphane says the 98% purity supports higher inclusion rates, and BLG has 40% more leucine than standard whey protein. 17. He says Firmway is already being formulated into protein bars, ready-to-drink products, ready-to-mix powders, yogurt drinks, and ice cream. 18. He says the interview style is direct and product-focused, with repeated back-and-forth on market use cases, regulation, and R&D. 19. Listeners interested in dairy formulation, precision fermentation, and protein ingredients will get the most from this conversation. 20. Listeners looking for consumer-brand storytelling or a short overview of plant-based foods may skip it.

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