Vegan cheese

Non-dairy cheese originated in China in the 16th century and was made with fermented tofu or whole soy.[4]

Later homemade vegan cheeses were made from soy flour, margarine, and yeast extract. With harder margarine, this can produce a hard vegan cheese that can be sliced; softer margarine produces a softer, spreadable cheese.[5]

The product became commercially available around the 1970s or 1980s.[6] These initial products were lower in quality than dairy cheese or today's vegan cheese, with a waxy, chalky or plastic-like texture.[6]

In the early 1990s, the only brand of vegan cheese available in the United States was Soymage.[7] Since then, the number and types (e.g., mozzarella, cheddar, etc.) of widely available vegan cheeses have diversified.[6][7] Also, soy-free options have since been explored. In the 1990s, vegan cheese sometimes cost twice as much as dairy cheese.[5]

Modern Kitchen brand strawberry-flavored vegan cream cheese, made with whey protein produced by microbes

From 2018 to 2020, 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.[8]

From 2018, the market for vegan cheese grew on a global scale. According to market research, Europe had the greatest market share of 43%, followed by North America, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa.[9] The global vegan cheese market is expected to attain a market value of $3.9 billion by the end of 2024, up from $2.1 billion in 2016.[10]

According to the Plant Based Food Association, the US market for plant-based foods is anticipated to reach $4 billion in sales by 2024.[11] The expansion is driven by the increased inclination towards vegetarian sources, rising urban populations, and greater preference towards international foods.[12][13] Multiple grocery chains expanded their geographical presence within specialty stores and supermarkets to address the anticipated growth for vegan cheeses, with annual sales growth expected at 8%.[9]

The more common types of vegan cheese being manufactured, distributed, and produced through this market are mozzarella, Parmesan, cheddar, Gouda, and cream cheese non-dairy based cheeses. These vegan cheeses are consumed in restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, vegan school meals, and in homes. Vegan cheeses are expected to grow and diversify into the mid-2020s.[14]

As of 2017, vegan cheese is generally more expensive than dairy cheese for consumers.[15]

Common plant-based proteins or vegetable proteins used in vegan cheeses are derived from edible sources of protein, such as soybeans, almond, and their milk.[28][29] Food scientists use a "blend of gums, protein, solids, and fats" to create the mouthfeel and melt of dairy cheese[30] since the ones made with nuts do not melt due to the solid base on which they are composed.[28] One vegan cheese product aims to solve this difficulty by making cheese with casein produced by yeast rather than by cows.[31]

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 includes natural agents such as agar, carrageenan, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum.[28]

The manufacturing process of fermentation is often used to replicate dairy cheese texture and flavour.[32] However this is a different process from that used in dairy cheeses, as the proteins in plant-based milk reacts differently to culturing agents and do not coagulate as traditional cheese does. It must be aged with other methods, as ambient temperature and humidity monitoring, and culturing agents, such as rejuvelac, non-dairy yogurt, or kombucha (which are not recommended to use due to the risks involved in the fermentation process) and kefir grains that are recommended but not very used at present.[33][28] If these processes are not carried out properly, with good hygiene and correct fermentation methods, the product can carry pathogens, such as Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, and others.[33]

The nutritional value of vegan cheese varies.[34]

Most vegan cheese contains no cholesterol and less saturated fat than dairy cheese. Most vegan cheese is low in calcium, though the Go Veggie brand has similar calcium content to dairy cheese. Vegan cheese is generally not a good source of protein compared to dairy cheese.[15]

A 1998 study comparing cheddar cheese to one type of vegan cheese found that the vegan cheese had lower calories, fat, and protein, though protein content of dairy cheese varies by type. The vegan cheese had higher riboflavin and vitamin B12, making it an acceptable replacement for cheddar cheese in terms of those nutrients. On the other hand, the vegan cheese did not provide vitamin A or vitamin D, in contrast to cheddar cheese. The vegan cheese was found to be a useful source of calcium, but not as good a source as cheddar cheese.[5]

Some vegan cheeses may be fortified to provide vitamin B12, while other vegan cheeses are not.[15]

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  Assorted vegan cheeses
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  A vegan cheese platter
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  Gnocchi made with vegan cheese

• Miyoko Schinner
• Plant milk

• Shurtleff, W.; Aoyagi, A. (2013). History of Cheese, Cream Cheese and Sour Cream Alternatives (With or Without Soy) (1896-2013):: Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook. Soyinfo Center. ISBN 978-1-928914-61-7.