Nuts are becoming an increasingly popular choice for making vegan cheeses. In contrast to traditional dairy alternatives or non-fermented cheeses, which use vegetable oils or fats and polysaccharides, cheeses that include nuts, legumes or cereals are increasingly becoming a more attractive option.

Have you heard of cashew cheeses?  Learn all about this innovation developed by a Spanish company that is revolutionising its market.

Context of vegan cheeses: The emergence of nuts

According to Fact.MR, a market research and competitive intelligence provider, the global market for plant-based cheeses is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.1% until 2033.1 These data reflect a change of trend. In the past, vegetable cheese was only in demand by lactose intolerant people, but today, flexitarians, or simply consumers concerned about the environment and animal welfare, represent an important base that encourages the consumption of these products and innovations in their development.

Innovation in this segment is moving towards the use of techniques similar to those employed in the dairy cheese industry, using fermentation and ripening to more closely replicate the complex flavours and characteristic textures of traditional cheeses. In this context, nuts have attracted the attention of several manufacturers due to their higher protein and vitamin content, longer shelf life and contribution to the formation of bioactive peptides.

You may be interested in | Check out the complete series of success stories developed by Itac Professional and find inspiration for the development of new products in your industry.

This time, we share a success story of the Spanish company Quevana, which has managed to replicate the texture, flavour and creaminess of dairy cheeses by using cashew nuts as a base and employing a production process similar to that of traditional cheeses, but without resorting to any ingredients of animal origin.

Cashew nut cheese production process

The Quevana company worked on the development of cheeses based on nuts such as pistachios, pine nuts and almonds, but cashew nuts were chosen for their neutral flavour and smooth texture that fit perfectly with the fermentation process.

The cashew nuts are crushed to form a paste which is then fermented with a combination of more than 15 probiotic strains. The «cheeses» are then moulded and matured for 2 to 5 weeks, depending on the variety.

The result is a product with a shelf life of 14 months, rich in healthy fats and with a protein content of 16%, characteristics that place it ahead of most vegetable cheeses on the market.

Below, you will find some interesting resources related to this project:

Video presentation of the success story

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Source:

¹ Mr, F. (2023, January 10). Plant-based cheese sales to surge at 15.1% CAGR through 2033 amid rapid gravitation towards veganism worldwide. FACT.MR.  Access