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Strive is a family-run sustainable nutrition company on a mission to make things simpler, healthier, and better for the planet. Our journey started over 40 years ago when we pioneered aseptic food processing to create high quality, delicious tasting foods using only natural ingredients without the need for preservatives. Today, we’re building a sustainable nutrition company focused on protein enriched beverages that are better tasting, more nutritious and better for the planet. Because a bright future for our children is going to be about all of us making small changes in our daily lives that add up to the big impact needed. And we intend Strive to be instrumental in helping people make those positive changes that make a difference in their lives and the world.

Animal-free whey protein is identical to the whey protein found in regular cow’s milk, but it’s made using a precision fermentation process instead of animals. Our partners at Perfect Day use tiny microscopic organisms called microflora, which are given a copy of the DNA responsible for whey protein production in cows, empowering them to ferment plant sugars into pure dairy protein. The result is a protein with the nutritional and functional characteristics of dairy whey protein without the downsides of regular cow’s milk, such as lactose, hormones, cholesterol, and antibiotics, or the harmful environmental impacts of large-scale animal agriculture. It’s a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids found in regular cow’s milk. Perfect Day is an expert in animal-free protein and precision fermentation. It’s been generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is both vegan-friendly and kosher-certified.

Strive is enriched with Perfect Day animal-free whey protein, identical to the whey protein in cow’s milk. Perfect Day animal-free whey protein is a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids that help support protein synthesis. Strive contains 10 grams of protein per 8-ounce serving versus 1 gram of protein in a comparable serving of the leading brand of almond milk.

Our partners at Perfect Day use microflora, a tiny organism that can ferment simple plant-based ingredients to produce the same dairy proteins found in cow’s milk without using a single animal. The microflora is given a copy of the DNA responsible for whey protein production in cows, empowering it to ferment plant sugars into pure dairy protein. Fermentation is a tried-and-true, safe, and natural process used to produce countless foods, probiotics, vitamins, natural flavors, and enzymes that humans consume daily. In addition, it is cleaner and more resource-efficient than traditional animal farming. Perfect Day is a new and revolutionary approach to dairy.

The same precision fermentation technology that Perfect Day uses to make its protein has existed for over 50 years and has been used to make many of the foods we already eat. Citric acid and vanillin, found in many of the goods in your pantry, are made through the same technique. Pharmaceuticals like insulin and wellness products like vitamins are also made the same way. Further, Perfect Day animal-free protein has been labeled as GRAS by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

No. Genetically modified organisms or any detectable genetic material is not present in Strive or Perfect Day’s animal-free protein. Perfect Day’s microflora is good at naturally producing different kinds of protein. Perfect Day simply gives the microflora the genetic instructions for producing exactly the type of protein wanted, which is whey in this case. Most importantly, sourcing the genetic instructions for cow’s milk protein requires no animal involvement: All you need is a fallen hair or a harmless cheek swab. For Perfect Day, it was even easier, as the DNA sequence was already published on the internet. The microflora naturally ferments plant sugars into a pure whey protein. Then, Perfect Day filters out the flora, leaving only pure protein.

Yes! Every ingredient in Strive is 100 percent natural. There are no artificial flavors or sweeteners.

Strive contains the same milk protein as cow’s milk. So, for people who are allergic to milk, Strive may not be a good option for them. The good news is that Strive Chocolate FREEMILK is 100 percent lactose-free, so anyone who has lactose intolerance should feel free to enjoy Strive Chocolate FREEMILK.

Strive is animal-free but not dairy-free because it contains real dairy protein. Strive animal-free whey protein is identical to the protein cows make, which means it can froth, whip, and foam just like milk, but also like cow’s milk, it can trigger a milk allergy. The good news is that it’s lactose-free and made without animals.

If you define veganism as eliminating the consumption of animal products, Strive with Perfect Day animal-free protein fits the bill. Our products are a great option for vegans, as no animals are involved.

Sustainability is the cornerstone of Strive. We started our business out of concern about climate change and its devastating effects. We’ve built a partnership with Perfect Day Foods because they provide a more sustainable alternative to conventional dairy protein. In fact, Perfect Day’s animal-free whey protein process creates up to 97 percent less greenhouse gas emissions and uses up to 99 percent less water and up to 60 percent less nonrenewable energy. We are packaging Strive initially in Tetra Pak containers. Tetra Pak is made from 67 percent renewable materials and only 33 percent fossil-based plastic, and it’s 100% recyclable.