Nadine Lustre, boyfriend Christophe Bariou develop plant-based milk Dehusk

Nadine Lustre and her boyfriend Christophe Bariou have churned up a new creation together: Dehusk, a plant-based milk brand.

In an interview with ANC, the couple, along with their co-founders San Tecuala and Quan Tan, talked about their advocacy for creating a local milk product made from plants.

"For us really, the first reason why we switched to more plant-based is really for the animals. We realized that these animals are actually individuals who are like us who deserve love and compassion and who deserve to exist in this world as well," Nadine said. 

The Deleter lead star confessed that "understanding how animal agriculture really works" became their turning point in shifting away from meat and cheese. She said that now that she eats a plant-based diet, she feels "good in general."

"Honestly, it's been the best. A lot of people ask me how being plant-based is like and I love it. We get to explore new ingredients, new food, there's so many veggies and fruits out there that are available. And it's really interesting because when we cook now we get to explore, we get to experiment and create new dishes," she added.

Why coconut milk

When asked how the sustainable milk product started, Tecuala explained how they wanted to produce something locally and support Southeast Asian products.

"We are sourcing most of our coconuts locally in Quezon Province most of the time as well," he shared. 

"I think what makes us different from normal gata is that we're actually not as thick. We engineered it to have you know the same fat condiments dairy. So if you think of Dehusk coconut milk, it's not gonna be like the gata you use for cooking. It's actually more of a drink," Tecuala added.

For Tan, the way Dehusk is manufactured locally and its fortification process sets it apart from all the plant-based milk in the market.

"Sustainability plays a huge part of Dehusk," he said. "Not all plant-based milks are created equally in terms of sustainability. For instance, almond milk is one of the most plant-based milks out there. However, one of the worst aspects of almond farming is its water usage."

He explained that coconut milk production requires little energy and water compared to other plant-based milk products.

"What we did with Dehusk is we flipped the switch. Instead of importing it across the ocean, we make it locally with the most abundant crop in Southeast Asia: coconuts," he said, adding that they also fortify their products. "We include all the necessary vitamins and nutrition to mimic the nutritional content of dairy."

Advocating plant-based milk 

The On the Wings of Love actress, meanwhile, expressed how "crazy" and "amazing" her new venture to the business as a co-founder. 

"The products that I've been involved with are all tied to my values and my advocacies as well. So, it's all purpose-driven." Nadine expressed. 

She pointed out that "disrupting the dairy industry" is one of the things they "really want to champion" and change people's approach to milk products to push for a more plant-based lifestyle.

Dehusk became part of the Top 100 Startups in the Philippines for 2023. The group eyes to officially launch the product in 2024.