Plant-based diets have become popular for many reasons, including the reduction of environmental footprint, enhanced diet, promoting human health, and animal welfare. Although the proportion of vegetarians and vegans is low compared to omnivores, their numbers have increased significantly in recent years.
At Lallemand, we are committed to supporting the growth of the Plant-based market, as we share its cornerstones: growth associated with sustainability, enhanced diet, promotion of human health, and animal welfare.
The term plant-based focuses on consumption of foods primarily from plants (fruit, vegetables, nuts, oil, whole grains, and legumes), but can include small quantities of food from animal origin such as milk, eggs, meat, and fish. However, not all animal food substitutes are sustainable and some of them are ultra-processed. Consumers demand clear and clean labels.
The new generation of plant-based cheese alternatives is reflecting consumers’ demand for healthy and flavorful meals, combining sustainability, nutrition, and functionality. It is not uncommon to find fermented cheese analogs, as the fermentation improves the flavor and enriches the alternative cheese composition.
More plant-based cheese
37%
of adults in the UK say that there should be a greater variety of plant-based cheeses available in supermarkets
Dairy-free cheese
19%
of US consumers aged 25 to 34 have eaten a dairy-alternative cheese in the last three months
Lallemand Bio-Ingredients offers an elaborate portfolio of specialty ingredients to help address the many challenges surrounding alternative dairy products. If you are looking for a better nutritional profile, or to improve flavor and texture, take advantage of our natural yeast products and expertise.
Engevita® nutritional yeast and the Torula-based Toravita® specialties provide a readily, dependable, natural source of dietary fiber, and high-quality proteins that are easily assimilated. Protein from yeast is a complete one, containing all essential and branched-chain amino acids. The protein content in our product range may vary from 45 to 80% (Engevita® HiPRO Beyond), depending on the product. Nutritional yeast and Torula yeast can be successfully included in plant-based cheese formulations to contribute to the protein level and complement the amino acids profile, contributing as well to achieving a pleasant flavor and texture.
The Savor-Lyfe® product range includes yeast extracts and yeast-based flavorings with a well-defined flavor impact. We are introducing to the market two new ingredients: Savor-Lyfe® CC and Savor-Lyfe® CA contribute to the taste foundation of cheese analogs and other cheese-flavored preparations with mild, creamy (CC), and aged cheese (CA) flavor notes. Those vegan, natural cheese flavors are produced by our primary grown Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The typical dosage starts at 0.2%.
Conventional plant proteins can contribute to typical “beany/green” notes in dairy analogs, which are sometimes difficult to manage to satisfy customer expectations.
Toravita® selected ingredients help in masking undesirable notes, thereby serving as a great tool for plant-based food developers.
Food fortification is the addition of vitamins and minerals as well as protein supplementation for plant-based foods.
This practice is important to:
Lalmin® portfolio is produced either by enhancing and converting the natural endogenous vitamins of the yeast or by supplementing the natural yeast fermentation with specific amounts of minerals and/or vitamins before inactivation. Lalmin® is primary grown baker’s yeast and is suitable for plant-based, gluten-free food fortification.
