Food & Beverage Concepts at IMCD Germany
Discover all of our different concepts to redesign the texture & mouthfeel, taste, and function of food & beverages to meet the growing consumer desires for sustainable and healthy nutrition.
Plant-based alternative to dairy cheese with cheddar taste. Plant-based foods are growing in popularity. However, many consumers find it difficult to give up the pleasure of cheese. Our vegan alternative offers the perfect formula for rich, full-bodied flavour with a typical firm consistency.
Consumer demand for plant-based products: Conscious Living
IMCD's vegan concept for an alternative to cheddar meets the growing consumer demand for plant-based products. It convinces with an exceptionally full-bodied taste and the typical consistency of Ireland's most popular cheese.
Consumer Trends
The vegan cheese market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% between 2021 and 2026*. Above all, factors such as environmental and health awareness, animal welfare, sustainability, intolerances, and the decision to adopt a vegan lifestyle are prompting young consumers in particular to opt for plant-based foods. At the same time, however, they do not want to sacrifice taste and pleasure.
Product requirements
Consumers' requirements for vegan products in general are, first and foremost, an authentic taste reminiscent of conventional products. In the case of a Vegan Cheddar, the characteristic properties are, in particular,
- the full-bodieness,
- the typically matured texture,
- and the bite firmness.
But the orange-yellow colour also plays an important role. If consumers decide on a vegan alternative, they have a variety of reasons for doing so. Frequently, however, the factors of sustainability and allergens, such as gluten and lactose, play a significant role in the product decision.
Technical challenges
The main challenge in developing a Vegan Cheddar is to achieve the mouthfeel and texture of a conventional cheddar using only plant-based ingredients and coconut fat as the base component. At the same time, processing fat is more challenging from a technical point of view compared to milk, as the fat does not bring the typical buttery flavour associated with cheddar cheese.
The vegan cheddar alternative from IMCD
To create a vegan alternative to cheddar, our technologists used their expertise and experience to select and combine targeted ingredients from our portfolio.
Various starches and a carrageenan provide a dry, slightly elastic texture and give consumers the typical cheddar bite. A resting period of a few days brings the finishing touch and the characteristic aged cheddar note.
Flavours for mouthfeel and as top notes were used to finally provide a buttery and full-bodied taste. Attention was paid to the use of natural flavours and only vegan ingredients were used.
Concept Highlights
- Natural flavours for an authentic cheddar taste and improved mouthfeel
- Exclusively plant based ingredients (claim: vegan)
- Free of allergens (lactose and gluten-free)
Raw material functionalities
- Corn starches: The combination of different functional corn starches improve texture & mouthfeel.
- Natural colours: The combination of paprika extract and seaweed carotene provides a natural cheddar-typical orange colour.
- Natural flavours: The use of a mouthfeel flavour and a cheddar top note gives the typical cheddar flavour.
- Yeast extract: Supports the savoury and cheesy flavour.
- Carrageenan: Improves the elasticity and bite of vegan cheese.
When creating the recipe, care was taken to use only plant-based raw materials and natural flavors. This means that the recipe is not only vegan and particularly tasty, but also allergen-free. Discover more information about the recipe and the selected ingredients below.
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Food & Beverage Concepts at IMCD Germany
Discover all of our different concepts to redesign the texture & mouthfeel, taste, and function of food & beverages to meet the growing consumer desires for sustainable and healthy nutrition.