There's a scene in Scott Pilgrim vs the World where Todd denotes veganism as:
Scott: [coughs] Vegan?
Quote 83147 | Movie Quote DB
Todd: [psychically moves couch out of the way] It's not really that big of a deal. [kicks and breaks off part of the brick wall]
Scott: No kidding. [coughs and stands up] Anyone can be vegan.
Todd: Ovo-lacto-vegetarian, maybe.
Scott: Ovo-what?
Todd: I partake not in the meat, nor the breastmilk, nor the ovum of any creature with a face.
Envy: Short answer: Being vegan just makes you better than most people.
With the ascendency of genetically engineered yeast technology, scientists have been able to synthesize chemicals from vanilla to morphine, synthetic milk that is not just indistinguishable from authentic cow juice, but ecologically and economically better in every way, lies just outside of humanity's reach.
Chemically, milk is mostly water – about 87%, to be precise. Milk solids comprise the rest: fats, proteins, sugars – primarily lactose – and minerals. By Australian law, at least 3.2% of the liquid in full-cream milk must be fat and another 3% protein.
Most synthetic dairy companies are focusing on producing milk proteins using a process known as precision fermentation. It involves genetically programming yeast or other microorganisms using synthetic DNA to produce a specific protein. Jim Fader, the co-founder of Eden Brew, compares the process to beer brewing.
"We use yeast to make a protein to make a drink. They use yeast to make alcohol to make a drink," he says.
There are at least 20 proteins in cow's milk, about 80% of which are casein proteins, found in the curds; the rest are whey proteins, perhaps most familiar as a component of powdered protein shakes.
Yeast of Eden | The Guardian
Major Motoko Kusanagi eloquently identifies humanity's technological reach in Ghost in the Shell: "If man realizes technology is within reach, he achieves it like it's damn-near instinctive.", so once we achieve synthetic milk and the downstream dairy products, would they be considered vegan?
