‘It’s really difficult to create a texture that matches regular cheese’

Photo Credit: University of Copenhagen

It is well known among environmentalists that the meat and dairy industries have a significant environmental impact. Cows’ milk produces three times the amount of planet-warming gases as its plant-based competitors. 

With this increased awareness and the rise of veganism, dozens of new vegan cheeses hit the market every year. However, it’s no surprise that the texture of plant-based cheese often does not mimic dairy.

The University of Copenhagen took a new approach to sustainability in the dairy industry by creating a hybrid formula of milk and pea protein and publishing the study in Food Research International.

“It’s really difficult to create a texture that matches regular cheese if you only use plant proteins,” said professor Lilia Ahrné from the department of food science, as shared by Phys.org. “Consumers who don’t like the taste experience won’t buy a product just because you tell them it’s sustainable.”

Ahrné and her team developed a recipe that is reminiscent of paneer. Its formula includes casein (the protein in milk) and pea protein. As peas are grown in Europe, they are an even more sustainable choice than soy.

The hard part about the process was figuring out the balance of proteins to ensure the texture was unaffected.

“We’ve investigated what happens to a cheese’s texture as we add more pea protein. How much can we add before it falls apart or loses its original paneer shape?” said postdoc Wenjie Xia, first author of the study, as shared by Phys.org.

“Our experiments show that at least 25% of the milk proteins can be replaced with pea protein while still producing a cheese with a texture, shape, and taste similar to the original product,” Xia continued.

While the ideal texture may have been found, the scientists are still working on refining the taste before the cheese goes into production.

The improved carbon footprint is a notable plus, but the hybrid cheese recipe also adds fiber to a food group that didn’t have it before. Additionally, this hybrid cheese is a cooking cheese that does not melt, similar to halloumi, paneer, and feta.

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Reducing dairy in your diet can have other benefits, including reducing skin ailments such as psoriasis. Fully plant-based diets are also associated with lower body fat, lower blood pressure, higher fiber, and lower cholesterol.

If you reduce your meat and dairy intake by half, it is equivalent to reducing 31 years of emissions from food production.

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