Patrick Oconnell
Vegan cheese is a dairy-free alternative to traditional cheese, made from plant-based ingredients such as nuts, soy, seeds, and root vegetables. It comes in various styles and flavours, including mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, and cream cheese, and is designed to taste and melt like regular cheese. The production process of vegan cheese shares some similarities with traditional cheesemaking, but without the use of animal milk. Instead, plant proteins are separated using bacteria, and ingredients like oils and thickeners are added to create a cheese-like consistency. The market for vegan cheese has been growing globally since 2018, driven by increasing demand for vegetarian and international food options. However, the labelling of vegan cheese as cheese remains controversial in some regions, with strict standards applied in the European Union and the United Kingdom to distinguish dairy products from plant-based alternatives.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Plant-based, including nuts, soy, seeds, root vegetables, vegetable oils, vegetable proteins, nutritional yeast, and vegetable oils |
| Forms | Shredded, cream cheese, block, sliced |
| Flavors | Mozzarella, cheddar, smoked gouda, provolone, American, truffle-rosemary, cinnamon sugar, scallion, original, black truffle, Mediterranean, herbes de Provence |
| Nutritional profile | Lower in fat, protein, and calcium than regular cheese, likely gluten-free, higher in sodium |
| Availability | Available at major grocery stores, artisanal options available at farmers' markets |
| Market size | Expected to attain a market value of $3.9 billion by the end of 2024, up from $2.1 billion in 2016 |
| Labeling | Controversial; prohibited from using terms like "cheese" in the European Union and the United Kingdom |
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What You'll Learn
How is vegan cheese made?
Vegan cheese is made from plant-based milk, such as soy or nut milk, instead of animal milk. A bacterial culture is added to separate the proteins in the milk, and it is often supplemented with oils, emulsifiers, and thickeners to achieve a cheese-like texture. Common ingredients in vegan cheeses include vegetable fats such as coconut oil and palm oil, as well as cashew nuts, which are chosen for their relative creaminess.
To make cashew cheese, raw cashews are soaked in water and then blended. The mixture can be flavoured and eaten raw or left to ferment. Other ingredients can then be added to achieve different flavours, such as truffle or chilli. Sweet potatoes can also be added to create a cheddar-style cheese sauce, as well as nutritional yeast, which gives the cheese a nutty, savoury flavour.
Some recipes use coconut milk to create a rich and creamy texture, as well as agar agar powder to make the cheese firm. Nutritional yeast is also added to create a cheesy flavour. Other recipes include ingredients such as olive brine, garlic, salt, lemon zest, and herbs.
Vegan cheese differs from dairy cheese in that it does not melt in the same way due to its lack of casein, a protein found in cow's milk. Instead, it often softens rather than melts when heated. However, sliced and shredded vegan cheese tends to melt better than blocks.
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Nutritional value
Dairy-free vegan cheese is made from various plant-based ingredients and comes in many styles and flavors. The nutritional value of vegan cheese depends on the type of cheese and its ingredients. Some of the more processed types of vegan cheese contain large amounts of refined oils, preservatives, color additives, and sodium while being mostly void of substantial nutritional value. These processed options are typically higher in sodium and lower in protein and calcium than dairy cheese.
On the other hand, some vegan cheeses are primarily made from whole foods like ground nuts, seeds, or cooked vegetables with added spices to mimic cheese flavors. These minimally processed versions are likely to offer more nutritional value in the form of fiber, healthy fats, and vital micronutrients. For example, cashew-based cheeses tend to have a better nutritional profile than those made with coconut oil, which often have very little protein and high saturated fat content.
Vegan cheese can be a healthy part of a balanced diet, but it should not be relied on as a sole source of nutrition. It is important to consider the overall diet and ensure that it is well-planned to include a variety of nutrients. Some vegan cheeses are fortified with important nutrients like calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, which are critical for vegans as these nutrients may be marginal in plant-based diets.
Overall, the nutritional value of vegan cheese varies depending on the specific ingredients and processing methods used. While some highly processed options may be less nutritious, others made from whole foods can contribute to a healthy diet.
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History
Dairy-free, vegan cheese is a category of non-dairy, plant-based cheese alternatives. The defining characteristic of vegan cheese is the exclusion of all animal products.
The product became commercially available in the 1970s or 1980s. These initial products were lower in quality than dairy cheese or today's vegan cheese, with a waxy, chalky, or plastic-like texture. In the early 1990s, the only brand of vegan cheese available in the United States was Soymage. Since then, the number and types (e.g. mozzarella, cheddar, etc.) of widely available vegan cheeses have diversified. In the 1990s, vegan cheese sometimes cost twice as much as dairy cheese.
From 2018 onwards, several new companies were founded to make animal-free cheese, including New Culture, Change Foods, Legendairy Foods, and Better Dairy. Some use genetically engineered yeast to synthesize cow milk proteins without the use of cows. From 2018, the market for vegan cheese grew on a global scale, with Europe having the greatest market share of 43%.
In 2019, a Brixton, UK, vegan cheese shop was asked by Dairy UK to stop describing its products as cheese because it 'misleads shoppers'. However, the store owners stated their "products were clearly marked as dairy-free." In February of the same year, a similar incident occurred in Vancouver, British Columbia, where a vegan cheese shop was ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to stop calling their products cheese as it was 'misleading' to consumers, despite the store stating that their cheese was always labeled as "dairy-free" and "plant-based". The CFIA later reversed the rejection and stated there was no objection to using the nomenclature "100% dairy-free plant-based cheese" provided that "it is truthful".
In 2020, Miyoko's Creamery, a California-based company that has been churning out high-quality, artisanal cheeses since 2014, filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Food and Agriculture after the department ordered the company to stop using dairy words on its packaging. The company was also sued in New York in 2018 in a lawsuit that alleged customers were misled by the label "vegan butter".
Vegan cheese is made using a process that shares some similar steps with traditional cheesemaking, but without animal milk. Plant proteins are separated using bacteria, and ingredients such as oils and thickeners are added to help create the desired cheese-like consistency. Just like traditional cheeses, the next big thing needed for a tasty vegan cheese is time. The vegetable protein and bacteria sit and break down further. Unlike the animal proteins in dairy cheeses, however, those in vegan cheeses don't naturally bond to one another. The result is flavors that tend not to be as complex and unique.
Different methods are used to create texture and taste. Some vegan cheeses are not cultured or aged; instead, acidic ingredients, such as lemon juice, are used to achieve a similar taste to dairy cheese. Ingredients of hard or firm vegan cheeses include natural agents such as agar, carrageenan, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum. The manufacturing process of fermentation is often used to replicate dairy cheese texture and flavor. However, this is a different process from that used in dairy cheeses, as the proteins in plant-based milk react differently to culturing agents and do not coagulate as traditional cheese does. It must be aged with other methods, such as ambient temperature and humidity monitoring, and culturing agents, such as rejuvelac, non-dairy yogurt, or kombucha (which are not recommended due to the risks involved in the fermentation process), and kefir grains, which are recommended but not often used.
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Commercial availability
Dairy-free vegan cheese has been commercially available since the 1970s or 1980s. The first products were lower in quality than dairy cheese or today's vegan cheese, with a waxy, chalky, or plastic-like texture. In the early 1990s, Soymage was the only vegan cheese brand available in the United States. Since then, the market for vegan cheese has expanded globally, with Europe having the largest market share (43%) in 2018, followed by North America, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East.
Numerous companies now offer a wide range of vegan cheese products, including soft fresh cheeses, aged cheeses, and cultured hard grateable cheeses like plant-based Parmesan. These cheeses are made from various plant-based ingredients, such as vegetables, vegetable proteins and fats, plant milks, seeds (sesame, sunflower, nuts like cashew, pine nut, peanuts, and almond), soybeans, coconut oil, nutritional yeast, tapioca, rice, potatoes, and spices.
Some popular brands in the market include Follow Your Heart, which offers dairy-free parmesan, crumbled blue cheese, shreds, and blocked mozzarella, as well as veganaise (vegan mayonnaise), dairy-free mac and cheese, salad dressing, and dips. Kite Hill, known for its yogurt alternatives, has expanded to include butter alternatives, sour cream alternatives, filled pasta, and cream cheese made with almond milk. Rebel Cheese offers artisanal dairy-free, vegan, plant-based cheeses with innovative flavors like Strawberry and Basil, and Lemon Herb. Other brands include Go Veggie, Tofutti, Violife, Daiya, Field Roast, and Uprise Foods.
Vegan cheese is also available at grocery store chains like Aldi, which offers its own brand called Earth Grown, with dairy-free mozzarella and cheddar shreds made with coconut oil, potato starch, and potato protein.
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Labelling controversy
The labelling of vegan cheese has been a topic of controversy. Dairy industry groups have pushed for regulations prohibiting the use of terms like "cheese" on non-dairy products. This controversy stems from the argument that the term "cheese" should be reserved solely for products derived from animal milk.
In the European Union and the United Kingdom, regulations prohibit the use of dairy-specific terms like "cheese" for purely plant-based products. This restriction aims to prevent consumers from being misled by non-dairy products masquerading as cheese. In February 2019, a vegan cheese shop in Vancouver, British Columbia, faced scrutiny from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for labelling their products as cheese. The CFIA argued that using the term "cheese" for non-dairy products was misleading to consumers, despite the shop's clear labelling of their products as "dairy-free" and "plant-based". However, the CFIA later reversed its decision, stating that using the nomenclature "100% dairy-free plant-based cheese" was acceptable as long as it was truthful.
Similar incidents have occurred in other parts of the world. In June 2017, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that purely plant-based products could not be labelled as "plant cheese" or "veggie cheese". In the United Kingdom, strict standards are enforced, preventing the use of terms like "milk", "cheese", and "cream" for non-dairy alternatives. In 2019, a vegan cheese shop in Brixton, UK, was asked by Dairy UK to stop using the term "cheese" as it misled shoppers, even though their products were clearly marked as dairy-free.
The controversy surrounding the labelling of vegan cheese highlights the ongoing debate between the dairy industry and vegan food producers. While dairy industry groups argue for the exclusive use of dairy terms for animal-derived products, vegan cheese manufacturers advocate for the right to use familiar terminology to describe their products accurately. This controversy has led to legal disputes, with vegan cheese companies like Miyoko's Creamery filing lawsuits against regulatory bodies that restrict their labelling choices.
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Frequently asked questions
Vegan cheese is a dairy-free cheese alternative made from plant-based ingredients such as nuts, soy, seeds, and root vegetables.
Common ingredients in vegan cheese include vegetable oils, plant proteins, starches, and nutritional yeast.
The process of making vegan cheese shares some similarities with traditional cheesemaking. Plant proteins are separated using bacteria, and then ingredients such as oils and thickeners are added to create a cheese-like consistency.
While there are now many delicious vegan cheese options available, some people still find that vegan cheese does not taste as good as regular cheese. Vegan cheese tends to have less complex and unique flavours than dairy cheese.
Vegan cheese is now widely available in most major grocery stores and retailers. However, the specific selection may vary depending on the store.
