While “lab-based” dairy is touted by startups and investors, the very concept that dairy-protein replicas made in vats holds equal value for consumers is suspect, says Dr. John Lucey, professor of food science at the University of Wisconsin, in a Dairy Defined podcast released today.

“We have to separate out the fact there's a lot of marketing hype,” Lucey said. “The reality is, to produce these original structures like milk fat or casein, micelles and stuff that are present naturally in milk, is really complicated.”

Lucey details the many differences between dairy, a natural animal product, and “animal-free” imitators in composition and sustainability, noting why labeling for such products need to be clearly differentiated.