Vegan cheese alternative: almost like real cheese
It’s here – the first plant-based semi-hard cheese alternative. Emmi is breaking new ground with fermentation and the addition of plant proteins.
If you’re looking for vegan yoghurt, drink or dessert alternatives, there is already a wide range of products on offer. When it comes to cheese alternatives, the market is a bit smaller.
Emmi recently launched a semi-hard cheese alternative made from a Swiss oat drink under the brand beleaf. Producing it involves a process that we are already very familiar with at Emmi – fermentation.
More protein
"By using vegan bacteria, we produce the desired lactic acid and other aromatic components that are reminiscent of cheese," says Nicole Gredig, Development Project Manager.
The addition of chickpeas and peas also gives the product a protein content of 5.5%. "This gets us closer to the original cheese and differentiates us from existing products."
“This gets us closer to the original cheese and differentiates us from existing products.“
Development will continue
Flavouring also plays an important role. "We’ve worked on this for a long time and made many attempts," says Nicole Gredig. A light umami flavour, as you find in ripe cheese, has been achieved.
Emmi is continuing to work on cheese alternatives. "There’s still a lot of potential when it comes to flavour and ingredients, but we’re on the right track." The product is available at Coop.
