The growing demand for plant-based food alternatives has driven significant advancements in the production of vegan cheese.

KMC, a Denmark-based ingredient solutions company, has developed innovative potato starch-based products aimed at replicating the melting, stretching, and texture characteristics of dairy cheese. This breakthrough is particularly targeted at enhancing vegan pizza cheese, a product often judged by its ability to stretch and melt like mozzarella.

Why Potato Starch?

Potato starch has become a key ingredient in plant-based cheese due to its neutral taste, white color, and versatility. Unlike some plant-based ingredients with overpowering flavors, potato starch blends seamlessly, allowing food manufacturers to achieve the desired cheesy taste without the need for masking agents. This also enables reduced use of added flavors, leading to cleaner-label products.

Moreover, potato starch supports better nutritional profiles, enabling products to include up to 8% plant-based protein, thereby promoting healthier dairy-free options. Its eco-friendly nature also contributes to sustainability goals by reducing reliance on animal agriculture.

KMC’s CheeseMaker CF Series

KMC’s CheeseMaker CF series represents a range of potato starch-based solutions tailored to different cheese applications. CheeseMaker CF75 focuses on meltability, making it ideal for gratins and pizza toppings. CheeseMaker CF77 offers excellent shreddability for industrial applications. The newly launched CheeseMaker CF66 delivers an unparalleled level of stretch and meltability, designed specifically for vegan pizza cheese. It provides a stretchy texture up to 20 cm (7.88 inches) under specific heating conditions, replicating the gooey pull of mozzarella.

These solutions are also highly versatile. As Lærke Hansen, Senior Application Specialist at KMC, explains, they can be adapted to various plant proteins, including chickpea, pea, lentil, fava, and soy.

“This opens the door for manufacturers to produce a best-selling plant-based pizza cheese that fulfills consumer expectations in many ways,” says the cooperative, which has previously developed a vegan gelling agent made from potato starch.

Read: KMC’s New Potato-Based Gelling Agent Can Replace Gelatin Use in Gummies!

KMC proudly announced that CheeseMaker CF66 reached the finals of the Fi Innovation Awards 2024 in the ‘Dairy Alternative’ category. The product made its official debut at Food Ingredients Europe in November 2024.

If this innovation takes off, it could soon bring higher-quality dairy-free cheese options to store shelves, particularly appealing to pizza lovers seeking meltable plant-based alternatives.