Should we all be tucking into fake cheese?
 The UK sales value of plant-based cheese has increased by 165 percent over the last two years, but still lags behind plant-based substitutes for milk, yoghurt and meat. This contrasts with the dairy sector, in which more money is spent on cheese than on milk. Are we missing out? And are vegan cheeses good for our health and the environment? What is vegan cheese? There are 432 “non-dairy cheese” products with the Vegan trademark, according to the Vegan Society. Many are widely available. Sainsbury’s says it sells 25 plant-based cheeses, and Tesco lists 28 on its website. But availability varies significantly between supermarket outlets, and this may be one reason why they’re not eaten more, says Mintel Senior Food and Drink Analyst Amy Price. Cream cheese and hard cheese in blocks, grated or sliced, are available in vegan form. Some aim to replicate specific cheeses like Cheddar and mozzarella, while others are simply be described as cheese. Common base ingredients include coconut, soy, nut or seed oils with added starches, gums to improve texture, flavourings and colourings, and vegetables are sometimes added. “A lot of people are apprehensive” about vegan cheese, says Mike Moore, founder of vegan cheese company Honestly Tasty. “The video of that cat saying ‘no no no no no’ springs to mind.” He says this is due to some options having a “plasticky and processed texture with a strange, almost chemical taste… and a melt that sticks to the top of your mouth”. 33 percent of 16-34 year olds who eat and buy cheese say they have tried a plant-based version, but “only 15 percent of adults agreed it tastes as good as standard cheese”, says Price. Producers are experimenting with traditional cheesemaking techniques to make dairy-free cheeses, with some adding live bacteria cultures such as Penicillium Roqueforti to ferment the cheese for a more authentic flavour. It can then be aged to develop the flavour, just like dairy cheeses. However, because “maturing takes weeks or months, it will take a while [for the industry] to catch up and show the same variety dairy cheese has”, says Moore. How is vegan cheese developing? Casein, a protein found in dairy, gives cheese its texture, mouthfeel and functionality, such as the stretchiness of melted mozzarella. Companies have recently developed a way of creating a version of casein in a lab, without animals, and report it produces authentic, dairy-like results for plant-based milk, cheese, ice cream and other products. The genetic code cows use to make casein can be inserted into microorganisms and grown in fermentation tanks. Water, plant-based fats, sugar, vitamins and minerals are added to get a milk-like solution. New Culture, a start-up experimenting with this method, says it uses acid, heat or enzymes to coagulate the mixture, just like in traditional cheesemaking, to create a cheese. While cheese made this way is not yet on the UK market (it is used in some vegan ice creams in the US), a survey funded by a cheese alternatives company found 75.9 percent of UK respondents were open to eating cheese made with non-animal dairy protein from microbes instead of cows. “When juxtaposed against research into animal-free meat acceptance, the findings suggest animal-free dairy cheeses will see faster adoption and less societal pushback than cultivated meat products”, according to the survey findings. Plant-based cheese and nutrition Dairy products are good sources of protein and calcium, as part of a healthy balanced diet. Unsweetened, calcium-fortified, dairy alternatives such as soya cheeses also count as part of this food group and “can make good alternatives to dairy products”, according to the NHS website. However, it also states, “if you’re not able to, or choose not to, eat dairy products, you may not be getting enough calcium in your diet”, and advises you speak to a GP before removing dairy from your diet. When it comes to nutrition, not all plant-based cheeses are created equally. “The nutritional composition of vegan cheeses can vary between brands. However, many are made from coconut oil, often high in saturated fats and a lot lower in protein than dairy cheese”, says dietitian Anjanee Kohli. Some products contain nuts and seeds, many of which are a source of calcium, and some are fortified with the vitamins and minerals you find in dairy, such as vitamin B12 and calcium. “Despite this, I wouldn’t recommend relying on vegan cheeses as a sole source of these nutrients, as nutrition isn’t only about one type of food, but about your overall diet”, says Kohli. When buying a product, it’s a good idea to read the nutrition label and compare it to other vegan cheeses, and “consume in moderation”, concludes Kohli. Read more about how to go vegan healthily on BBC Food. Vegan cheese and the environment Nearly two-thirds of vegans listed the environment as a motivating factor for going vegan in a survey. Food accounts for about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, and some foods have a particularly high carbon footprint. It takes a lot of milk to make hard cheese, and consequently it has a high carbon footprint. Eating 30g of cheese per day for a year has been found to contribute 352kg to your annual greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of driving a regular petrol car 899 miles. The environmental cost of vegan cheese is not clear, but nuts and soya milk or tofu, common vegan cheese ingredients, have a lower carbon footprint than dairy cheese. A handful of nuts per day for a year has been found to contribute 5kg to your greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of driving a regular petrol car 13 miles. Another common ingredient in vegan cheese, coconut oil, has been criticised for contributing to deforestation and threatening animal species in some areas it is produced, although some brands have made commitments to sustainability. If you are concerned about the sustainability of a product, you can make your own cheese alternative at home, selecting ingredients or brands that meet your sustainability criteria. Homemade vegan cheese You can make vegan cheese using ingredients available from supermarkets. The easiest way is to strain a vegan yoghurt alternative overnight, season it with salt, pepper and herbs, and use the thickened result as a cream cheese. Nuts and seeds, most commonly cashews, can be soaked to create a creamy, luxurious consistency that is perfect for replicating cream cheese and a harder cheese. Coconut cream or milk from a tin (not the milk substitute) makes a rich, more solid, but melt-in-the mouth vegan cheese. Cashews and coconut are combined in some recipes. A splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar adds the tartness and acidity you expect from cheese. Powdered garlic adds zing and depth. Nutritional yeast – an umami-tasting deactivated yeast that’s available in large supermarkets – gives a cheesy tang and slightly orange colour and contains zinc and vital B vitamins, such as B12 and folic acid, which are commonly found in animal products. Liquid smoke or smoked paprika can give a smoked flavour. Roasted vegetables, such as butternut squash or sweet potato, add nutrients, as well as a rich flavour and colour, which works well for vegan nacho sauce. Agar agar powder, also known as vegetarian gelatine, helps firm up vegan cheese, and the more you add the firmer your vegan cheese will be. If your cheese is too soft, you can freeze and grate it. Try this recipe for firm cashew vegan cheese on BBC Food. Some recipes online use less agar agar powder and add tapioca flour or starch to make vegan cheese that’s slightly stretchy when it’s melted.