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The plant-based cheese market is growing, with a current value of 2.43bn and a projected CAGR of 12.6% (Grand View Research). But, despite this success, the industry has been plagued by issues over flavour and texture, as consumers complain that it fails to meet dairy-based cheese standards.
In fact, a report from the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) found that 73% of consumers want better plant-based cheeses, with taste, flavour, and quality of ingredients cited as the primary issues… in other words, all aspects of plant-based cheeses have been found wanting.
However, this is not news to the plant-based industry, which has been working to improve all aspects of its products in recent years. And it’s these efforts, that have led to major breakthroughs in flavour and texture.
Last year, Stockeld Dreamery announced it had mastered the meltability experience of cheese, with plant-based ingredients.
“I’ve heard so many stories of disappointment related to plant-based cheese over the years,” says Sorosh Tavakoli, founder of Swedish dairy-free start-up, Stockeld Dreamery. “The cheese that never melted, the cheese that ruined the entire pizza or burger, the plasticky texture that made a friend question if it was really food or plastic.”
Meanwhile, Israel-based food tech start-up, DairyX Foods, announced the development of plant-based dairy proteins, through precision fermentation.
“We trained yeast to produce the next generation of casein,” says Dr Maya Bar-Zeev, head of product development and downstream processing for DairyX. “DairyX’s patent-pending casein is an advanced form, created to precisely and effectively organise into micelles.”
Now, scientists believe they’ve solved the ‘creamy’ conundrum faced by plant-based cheesemakers. And it utilises natural ingredients.
The plant-based cheese market is growing, with a current value of 2.43bn and a projected CAGR of 12.6% (Getty Images)
Making ‘creamy’ plant-based cheese
Scientists from Canada’s University of Guelph, in collaboration with Canadian Light Source (a research facility for the University of Saskatchewan), are developing plant-based cheese, which mimics the texture of dairy-based cheeses, while providing improved health benefits.
The researchers have examined various plant-based proteins, and their interactions with alternative cheese structures, to better understand how to recreate the desirable qualities of dairy-based cheeses.
“If you wanted to strictly only eat plant-based products, you would end up eating a lot of beans and tofu, which can be little bit boring after a while,” says Alejandro Marangoni, an author on the study. “Now, consumers expect essentially the same animal product but with plant-based ingredients, which is very difficult.”
To create a cheesy product, with the same texture as the real thing, the research team set about studying the physical attributes of dairy-based cheese, including the melting, stretching and oil release, when heated.
“The behaviour of milk proteins and meat proteins is reasonably well understood,” says Marangoni. “But knowledge about the functionality of plant proteins is lacking. There is also a huge variety of different plant proteins, each very different from one another.”
Previous research concluded that a blend of 25% coconut oil, 75% sunflower oil and pea protein, created a desirable cheese texture. In this research, Marangoni and his team studied isolates from three proteins – lentil protein, faba bean protein and a particular type of pea protein – and observed how the isolates interacted with the oil and starch matrix of the cheese alternative.
They found that increasing the coconut oil increased the hardness of cheeses, but cheese with pea protein and 25% coconut oil had the firmest texture, due to their unique protein-fat interactions. This formulation matched or surpassed the melt, oil loss, and stretch of the cheese analogues made with 100% coconut oil.
Using a blend of sunflower and coconut oil decreased the saturated fat content of the cheese, creating a healthy and sustainable alternative to dairy cheeses and other plant-based cheeses.
“Ultimately we want to improve the nutrition, increase the protein content, and lower the saturated fat content of cheese alternatives,” says Marangoni. “But keeping all the functionality in there, which includes the melt and the stretch of the cheese, is very difficult.”
European consumer interest in plant-based cheeses is stronger than any other market (Getty Images/Image Source)
What does this mean for the plant-based cheese industry?
This is an exciting development for the plant-based cheese industry as it continues to gain market share and compete against the dairy-based industry.
“Shifting consumer food preferences and evolving trends in the food and beverage industry are driving the demand for vegan cheese across the globe,” says a spokesperson for Grand View Research.
And this is especially good news for European manufacturers as European consumer interest in plant-based cheeses is stronger than in any other market, accounting for more than 35% revenue share (Grand View Research).
Shifting consumer food preferences and evolving trends in the food and beverage industry are driving the demand for vegan cheese across the globe (Getty Images)
Source: Impact of protein sources on the functionality of plant-based cheeses formulated with saturated and unsaturated fat
Published online: 14 January 2025
DOI: 10.1063/5.0238556
Authors: Cameryn Sanders, Jarvis A Stobbs, Stacie Dobson, Alejandro G. Marangoni
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