4 things to keep in mind when developing a plant-based cheese

For consumers who decide to adopt a more plant-based diet, the food that is most difficult to give up is cheese. That is because besides being tasty, it is also very versatile in its use, being able to be used in many forms and recipes. Nevertheless, thanks to the growing popularity of vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian diets, there are numerous launches of plant-based cheese on the market. Vegetable cheese sales in the U.S. in 2021 were estimated to be positive at $291M for 59M units sold, with a CAGR of 7%. From the survey, it could be estimated that the percentage of households purchasing plant-based cheeses increased by 20% between 2020 and 2021. However, repeat purchase rates have declined, thus indicating ample room for improvement and innovation in the industry.

Latest trends in plant-based cheese in EMEA and AMERICA

According to the consumer survey drawn up by Smart Protein, European consumers cannot give up cheese: 47% consume it more than four times a week. However, the vegetable cheese market entry of well-known brands in the dairy industry – Babybel, Philadelphia to name a few – heralds an evolution in the sector. While lovers of cheese, Europeans are also calling for a greater variety of plant-based cheeses: according to Mintel report “A year of innovation in cheese, 2022,” 37 percent of UK adults say they want more plant-based cheese offerings in supermarkets. There have been more vegetable cheese spread launches than more conventional formats such as block or slice, highlighting how European consumers are turning to convenient and convenient formats.

In America, on the other hand, 19% of consumers consume plant-based cheeses. This figure, when compared to vegetable milk consumption (35%) shows how the sector still remains “niche” for America. Nevertheless, the consumption trend appears to be growing, especially in the younger generations. The focus as in Europe is on greater differentiation of supply, looking at convenient formats and innovative flavors.

What to target to win consumers’ choice?

1. Make it melt

The functional properties of dairy proteins, especially casein, are essential in giving traditional cheese certain organoleptic properties, such as melting capacity, which makes it versatile in various uses. Due to their conformation, plant proteins are unable to give vegetable cheese the ability to melt, melting in contact with heat. In general, most plant-based cheeses on the market do not melt like conventional cheese. This feature is highly desired by consumers and is a “white space” for product innovation in plant-based cheeses.

2. Make it familiar

Cheese is a popular food product in different cuisines around the world, with different shapes and flavors depending on the region. In the area of plant-based cheeses, the demand for greater differentiation-in formats and flavors is increasingly present among consumers, who want to be able to find products they are familiar with in supermarkets. The choice, for the purpose of developing new plant-based cheese, is very wide, being able to range with multiple textures – from hard, semi-hard, soft, creamy, soft cheese – to different flavors – from the most common herbs, and spices to creating completely new flavors.

3. Make it tasty and convenient

Taste remains one of the main reasons for the purchase, and especially the repeated purchase, of plant-based cheese. To date, however, the supply does not meet the needs of consumers, who find the taste is often unnatural, with an often grainy texture, according to the report. Competing with the taste of conventional cheese is not easy: according to the article it has been found that a key protein within it-casein-has opiate-like qualities in the brain, leading to a general sense of pleasure when cheese is consumed.   For plant-based alternatives, focusing on flavor — making it as close to the conventional product as possible — is the key to winning over diverse consumers. According to Mintel GNPD in Europe in plant-based cheeses launched in 2022, the most commonly used flavors were herbal (19.5 percent), vegetable (13.0 percent), smoked (3.5 percent), spicy, and nut and seed. The format also remains important, as consumers prefer convenience and comfort to consumption. Also according to Mintel GNPD, in 2022 the top formats were spreadable cheese (26.8%), grated (17.2%), sliced (16.9%), cubed (14.25), and whole (13.0%).

4. Make it healthy(ier)

One of the reasons that drive the average consumer to purchase vegetable cheese is definitely the health aspect. However, most plant-based cheese on the market today contains starches, vegetable oils (e.g., coconut or palm oil), and emulsifiers. In addition, they are generally low in protein, especially when they start from fruit or seed flavored, high in fat. For example, one of the main advantages that non-animal-based cheese might have is the absence of cholesterol, usually derived from animal products. However, much plant-based cheese is composed of coconut oil and other saturated fats, ingredients that equally impact cholesterol. There is still much work to be done in this area to bring plant-based cheeses to have a similar nutritional value to plant-based cheeses. Despite this, we can see many innovations in the area, especially in replacing saturated fats with healthier and more sustainable alternatives to fats.

The continuous search for new textures and flavors can surely lead to an improvement in plant-based cheeses, looking more and more at the needs of consumers. The space for innovation in this field is huge: just think of how many types of animal cheeses there are in the world, depending on different regions. For innovators, this presents an interesting opportunity: from the most common mozzarella to ricotta cheese to more specialty cheeses such as gorgonzola cheese, the choice for developing an innovative new product is vast.