With growing interest in healthy eating, the market for nutritious foods is on the rise and cheese is one of the categories increasingly being repositioned as a healthy product. That is according to Glanbia Ireland ingredients, who speaks to FoodIngredientsFirst about trends in dairy, honing in on the demand for snacking.

Manufacturers face many challenges in developing these ready-to-eat cheese products, and Glanbia Ireland has designed CheddMax to help manufacturers deliver the taste and functionality consumer demands while overcoming these manufacturing challenges. 

In a nclick="updateothersitehits('Articlepage','External','OtherSitelink','Natural cheese solutions tap into flavor, convenience and functionality, says Glanbia Ireland','Natural cheese solutions tap into flavor, convenience and functionality, says Glanbia Ireland','324383','https://onlinexperiences.com/scripts/Server.nxp?LASCmd=AI:4;F:QS!10100&ShowUUID=D1A6F91F-B1C5-493C-B493-804315742A95&GroupID=Studio&AffiliateData=CNSarticle', 'article','Natural cheese solutions tap into flavor, convenience and functionality, says Glanbia Ireland')">webinar on October 20 entitled – CheddMax: the natural cheese solution to meet flavour, convenience and functionality needs for consumers and manufacturers, the company will demonstrate the functionality of its CheddMax solution. 

Snacking formats win over consumers
Cheese has long been perceived as a snack. The market has now developed to encompass a wide range of individually portioned snacking products suitable for consumption in the home, on the go and in lunchboxes. 

Non-dairy cheese is thriving in European markets.New formats have been spotlighted, including slices, lunch kits, dips, mini portions, shapes, sticks and strings. 

“When utilized in specific applications, cheese can impart significant functionality, productivity, cost, flavor and nutritional benefits that can be passed through to the end consumer,” explains Shane McDarby, head of product management at the company. 

Dairy traditions
Europe has strong local traditions in cheese consumption, with processed cheese and snacking cheeses less pronounced than in other markets such as the US and UK. According to Glanbia Ireland, 88% of the market is unprocessed cheese. 

The European cheese market was worth close to US$50 billion in 2020, and it is anticipated that growth will accelerate in 2021 with a year-on-year growth projection of 9.5%, notes McDarby. 

“There is potential for the development of more snacking formats, and new product development will help widen the potential usage for processed cheese and expand its appeal to a broader audience.”

Increased consumption of Western-style foods such as pizza, burgers and pasta, with cheese as a key ingredient, boosts innovation growth.

Notably, processed cheese has suffered from poor consumer perceptions of it as an artificial product. Still, the company focuses on functional benefits, a range of convenient formats, and more flavored options that have helped a return to NPD growth.

Growth in plant-based formats
In some regions of the world, the rise of dairy alternatives is prevalent, with many consumers adopting vegan and plant-based foods for health appeal, outlines McDarby. 

“In the western world, in particular, the market is evolving rapidly and has diversified beyond dairy alternative drinks to include alternatives to yogurt, cheese and ice cream, while at the same time, the range of ingredients used to replac milk continues to expand and advance.”

Non-dairy cheese is thriving in European markets, accounting for almost half of all non-dairy cheese launches globally. Europe is strongly pushing the vegan claim. From 2016-2020 there has been a 24% average annual growth in non-dairy cheese launches in Europe with a vegan claim. 

Addressing reduced fat and salt
In a bid to boost health, Glanbia Ireland has developed reduced fat and salt Cheddmax solutions. 

Dietary guidelines recommend that saturated fat intakes should be kept as low as possible, adds McDarby. “Consuming too much saturated fat is linked with raising low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or “bad” cholesterol and increases the risk of developing heart disease.”

“At 26% fat, our Cheddmax Reduced Fat product has reduced fat and reduced saturated fat content compared to other offerings. It also benefits from having a higher protein content. 

It is also worth noting the emerging research on the positive link between saturated fat from cheese and other dairy products and health,” he continues.Although cheese is rich in nutrients, it also contains fat, saturated fat and salt, says Glanbia Ireland.

“For example, while saturated fat from meat and processed meat sources can have a negative impact, studies suggest that saturated fat from dairy sources including cheese have no effect or even in some cases a positive effect on health. This suggests that we need to consider the food source when looking at the link between saturated fat and health.”

The company’s recent CheddMax ingredients portfolio offers natural cheese solutions that will deliver exceptional results in the areas of browning, slicing, shredding, melt and many more desirable functionalities. 

“With a global presence in the cheddar market, we cater for a vast range of customer requirements,” notes McDarby. “Whether we are working with major customers in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, or North and South America, we draw on an extensive knowledge base to deliver solutions that meet specific requirements.”

Glanbia Ireland’s cheese portfolio delivers cheese solutions for consumer brands for retail, private label, foodservice and quick-serve restaurants, as well as industrial B2B solutions. 

“We are currently in the development stage of our vegan cheese portfolio, and together with our partner, we are focusing on functionality, taste and texture,” concludes McDarby.