Scientists in Canada are replicating the creamy, cheesy and indulgent qualities of dairy cheese in a plant-based alternative by investigating how plant-based proteins interact with fat matrices for better texture and nutrition. They have developed a vegan cheese by blending coconut oil, sunflower oil and pea protein.

The innovation comes as consumer acceptance of animal-free cheese gains ground, boosting NPD and efforts to improve its texture and taste. Moreover, non-dairy cheese accounted for 7% of alt-meat and dairy product launches from July 2023 to June 2024, with pea protein being the most used protein (38%) in these products, Innova Market Insights data indicates.

The researchers at the University of Guelph, Ontario, which conducted the study, claim that the vegan cheese substitute “matched or surpassed” the melt, oil loss and stretch of the cheese analogs made with 100% coconut oil.

“We are trying to make cheese and milk from “peas.” That is a big step and really nobody foresaw we had to do this ten years ago,” Dr. Alejandro G. Marangoni, the study’s author and researcher at the university, tells Food Ingredients First.

“We have been able to match the stretch, melt, oil release and recovery after melting (so it does not stay as a hot “mayonnaise” after melting). We are working to optimize flavor, but we are there. We can make 18% protein cheese with all the functionality you need.”

The team also found that using a blend of sunflower and coconut oil decreased the saturated fat content of the cheese, creating a healthy and sustainable alternative to dairy cheeses and other plant-based options.

“Ultimately, we want to improve the nutrition, increase the protein content and lower the saturated fat content of cheese alternatives,” Marangoni shares.

“But keeping all the functionality in there, which includes the melt and the stretch of the ‘cheese,’ is very difficult.”

Targeting the “grizzle and flavor”

Marangoni highlights some major formulation challenges the team faced in mimicking cheese texture.

“The components that make up meat and cheese, particularly the proteins, are very different between plants and animals. So, replicating the functional properties of cheese (melt, stretch, flavor) and meat (hardness, the way it breaks down in the mouth, the grizzle and flavor) is very difficult.”

“We need to break down every functionality individually and almost redesign the food from the bottom up.”

The findings, published in the journal Physics of Fluids, indicate that the protein-fat interactions can be “tuned” to achieve the desired hardness while maintaining functional properties and potentially enhancing the sustainability and health advantages of the final product.

Tapping plant protein power

The scientists tested three types of proteins (from lentils, faba beans and a particular type of pea) to observe how the isolates interacted with the oil and the cheese alternatives starch matrix.

They found that increasing the coconut oil enhanced the cheese’s hardness, but pea protein and 25% coconut oil led to the firmest texture due to their unique protein-fat interactions.

Sharing the reason behind choosing these specific proteins, Marangoni says the team used the most widely cultivated high protein crops — pulses (legumes) as well as soy, rice and hemp. ”We need to have enough protein and protein of high quality, not incomplete. It is possible, but still expensive.”

“For example, you have to eat lentils and rice, so we combine rice protein and lentil protein, and then we have a complete protein. But every protein is a bit different, so you have to do the research work to understand its behavior,” he explains.

Fostering sustainability

The scientists view plant-based cheeses as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional dairy.

“We are very concerned about climate change and its effects on food security and health. Food and agriculture contribute more greenhouse gases (GHG) than the oil and gas industry,” underscores Marangoni.

The FAO warns that emissions from the livestock industry are set to reach 9.1 gigatons of CO2 equivalents by 2050, without interventions and productivity gains. Food industry giants are taking note, implementing measures like methane-reducing solutions as well as farmer incentives to encourage climate-friendly farming practices.  

Marangoni also points to consumers’ role in contributing  to lowering emissions. “We can make a difference to the world by choosing more sustainable foods. One of the ways to do this is to transition from animal-based to plant-based (or other sources) foods.”

What’s next?

The team now aims to make the protein “complete” from a nutritional point, shares Marangoni.

“We also need to consider how the plant based cheese is digested to make sure we have enough micronutrients present, and have got rid of any anti-nutritional factors, such as phytic acid (binds minerals). We need to do this with all of the new plant-based products.”

In the future, the scientist is eager to work on hemp protein owing to its multiple uses in the industry and believes it is possible to produce vegan cheese at par with their animal-based counterparts.

“We could do it today, if the cost of production was lower or if more people started consuming it and demanding higher protein, higher quality, better flavor. There are not enough choices out there,” he concludes.