Does vegan cheese melt?

By Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)

Page last updated: 11/05/2022 | Next review date: 11/05/2024

Author bio

Dr Anny Manrich PhD is a food Engineer with expertise in Food Technology, Natural Polymers, Edible Films, Enzymes, and Nanotechnology. She writes and reviews content on these topics.

Dr Anny Manrich’s Highlights:

Research and Technology at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Biochemistry at the Federal University of Sao Carlos/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
Bachelor of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany

“To solve a problem, global vision and multifactorial understanding are necessary. Therefore, in addition to expertise, one should seek multidisciplinary thinking connected with science and reality” – Dr Anny Manrich, PhD.

Professional Experience:

Dr Anny Manrich’s Experience Joining the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, as soon as she completed her doctorate,

Dr Anny Manrich has worked on several projects, including the more than three-year partnership project with BRF, a major food producer in Brazil. As a postdoctoral fellow.

Dr Anny Manrich has also contributed to several business consultancies and research projects of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory System in areas such as food technology, fibres, films and coatings and Nanotechnology; in a very determined way, having a great team relationship, being creative and committed.

Growing concerns about the safe introduction of nanomaterials into today’s life emphasises the need to create regulatory documentation in front of characterising, using and testing them. Dr Anny Manrich worked for two years on a characterization project for nanoscale materials, with the aim of exploring their possible health effects.

Despite not having specific academic training in packaging or polymeric films, Dr Anny Manrich works at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in areas of edible and biodegradable films produced from agricultural waste and in the development of films with greater resistance to water, having articles published in renowned scientific journals, which demonstrates her multidisciplinary understanding and creativity.

In addition, she worked for four years as a consultant to a food company to develop a line of snacks that are healthy and that add functional ingredients, physiologically active compounds that bring health benefits, made from fruits and vegetables, enabling diet improvement, disease prevention and reduction of nutritional deficiencies.

Dr Anny Manrich participated as a member of the examination board for two Master’s exams and one PhD exam at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Federal University of São Carlos.

Education:

2001 Bachelor in Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas, Brazil
1999 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
2004 Master in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
2012 PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
2010 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich

The main publications of Dr. Anny Manrich are:

Articles

Manrich, A., Moreira, F. K., Otoni, C. G., Lorevice, M. V., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. (2017). Hydrophobic edible films made up of tomato cutin and pectin. Carbohydrate Polymers, 164, 83-91.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H. A., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Correlating emulsion characteristics with the properties of active starch films loaded with lemongrass essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids, 100, 105428.

Norcino, L. B., Mendes, J. F., Natarelli, C. V. L., Manrich, A., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Pectin films loaded with copaiba oil nanoemulsions for potential use as bio-based active packaging. Food Hydrocolloids, 106, 105862.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization of trypsin on chitosan gels: Use of different activation protocols and comparison with other supports. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 43.1 (2008): 54-61.

Manrich, Anny; Komesu, Andrea ; Adriano, Wellington Sabino; Tardioli, Paulo Waldir ; Giordano, Raquel Lima Camargo . Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by Multipoint Covalent Attachment on Agarose and on Chitosan Supports. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, v. 161, p. 455-467, 2010.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Neto, A. S., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Mattoso, L. H. C., & Martins, M. A. (2019). Development and physical-chemical properties of pectin film reinforced with spent coffee grounds by continuous casting. Carbohydrate polymers, 210, 92-99..

Milessi, T. S., Kopp, W., Rojas, M. J., Manrich, A., Baptista-Neto, A., Tardioli, P. W., … & Giordano, R. L. (2016). Immobilization and stabilization of an endoxylanase from Bacillus subtilis (XynA) for xylooligosaccharides (XOs) production. Catalysis Today, 259, 130-139.

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Manrich, A., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Development, physical‐chemical properties, and photodegradation of pectin film reinforced with malt bagasse fibers by continuous casting. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 137(39), 49178.

Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Luchesi, B. R., Dantas, A. P. S., Vanderlei, R. M., … & Martins, M. A. (2021). Thermo-physical and mechanical characteristics of composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) e spent coffee grounds (SCG). Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 29, 2888-2900..

Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Development of quaternary nanocomposites made up of cassava starch, cocoa butter, lemongrass essential oil nanoemulsion, and brewery spent grain fibers. Journal of Food Science, 86(5), 1979-1996.

Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Manufacture and performance of peanut skin cellulose nanocrystals. Scientia Agricola, 79.

Nascimento, V. M., Manrich, A., Tardioli, P. W., de Campos Giordano, R., de Moraes Rocha, G. J., & Giordano, R. D. L. C. (2016). Alkaline pretreatment for practicable production of ethanol and xylooligosaccharides. Bioethanol, 2(1)..

Manrich, Anny, de Oliveira, J. E., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. Physicochemical and Thermal Characterization of the Spirulina platensis. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. B, v. 10, p. 298-307, 2020.

Book Chapter

Terra, I. A. A., Aoki, P. H., Delezuk, J. A. D. M., Martins, M. A., Manrich, A., Silva, M. J., … & Miranda, P. B. (2022). Técnicas de Caracterização de Polímeros. Nanotecnologia Aplicada a Polímeros, 614.

Conference Papers

Ferreira, L. F., Luvizaro, L. B., Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., Júnior, M. G., & Dias, M. V. (2017). Comparação da estabilidade de suspensões poliméricas de amido/tocoferol e quitosana/tocoferol. In: CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE POLÍMEROS, 14., 2017, Águas de Lindóia, SP.

Manrich, A., Hubinger, S. Z., & Paris, E. C. (2017). Citotoxicidade causada por nanomateriais: avaliação do micronúcleo. In: WORKSHOP DA REDE DE NANOTECNOLOGIA APLICADA AO AGRONEGÓCIO, 9., 2017, São Carlos. Anais… São Carlos: Embrapa Instrumentação, 2017. p. 655-658.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by multipoint covalent attachment on Glyoxyl Agarose Support. The 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2009.

Manrich, Anny, et al. Application of immobilized xylanase on hydrolysis of soluble wood hemicelluloses after using microwave and organosolv pre-treatments. The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2010.

You can view some of Dr Anny’s work below and links to her professional profile.

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anny-Manrich-2

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=23103497100

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Ea9qpr0AAAAJ

Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/anny-manrich-20693129

Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)

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In this brief guide, we will answer the query, “Does vegan cheese melt?” and will discuss different types of vegan cheese that can melt.

Does vegan cheese melt?

Yes, vegan cheese can melt. Vegan cheese is no longer limited to being warm and pliable, but can now melt almost as well as regular cheese.

The Good Food Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Washington D.C., reported a growth in plant-based cheese analog sales of around 42% from 2019 to 2020, with $270 million being sold in the USA alone in 2020 (1).

With all of the vegan cheeses available today, we may choose from a variety of styles, such as vegan mozzarella or feta, plant-based parmesan-like cheese, applewood smoked cheddar, and even vegan brie and halloumi type cheese.

In a patented process of making plant-based cheese, a stretchy cheese was obtained by utilizing a mixture of soy globulins (4%), pea globulins (2%), and pea prolamins (2%) – which are proteins of these legumes – after heating to 95°C and inoculation with starter cultures after heating. The authors related the stretchy and melting behavior of the cheese analogs especially to the presence of the prolamins (1).

Cheeses that melt like real cheese from vegan sources

Applewood Smokey Cheese

One of the best things about vegan cheese is that it “melts nicely,” and Applewood’s vegan cheese delivers on that promise.

This smooth and creamy cheese substitute has a smokey taste and is free of soy and gluten. Another thing to note: While it’s true that some vegan cheeses lack calcium, Applewood’s is enriched with vitamin B12 and calcium.

Violife Epic Mature Cheddar Cheese

When it comes to vegan cheese, user evaluations say that Violife’s Epic Cheddar Cheese is the greatest. It’s also the most popular in foreign markets. Sliced or grated, this cheese (block-style) is great on pizzas and pasta. Any of these meals would benefit from the melting ability and rich taste of this ingredient.

Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda

You may use this rich, hickory-smoked Gouda in mac and cheese to give it a more refined taste or use it to make a Gourmet panini with caramelized onions. This vegan cheese melts well, just like the other options on our list.

Daiya Mozzarella Style Stretches

Their Mozzarella Style Shreds melt and ooze like real mozzarella, according to Daiya’s website. These are also free of gluten, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. Bonus!

Violife Just Like Mature Cheddar Slices

To fulfill your wants for mature cheddar cheese’s powerful taste, try Violife’s mature cheddar. It has just the right amount of texture and tangs to meet your needs.

Where Does Vegan Cheese Come from and What Are the Ingredients?

The design principle behind plant-based cheese production is to match the physicochemical and sensory attributes of a specific conventional cheese (such as cheddar or mozzarella), which can be achieved by using a variety of different ingredients and structuring techniques depending on the properties required. In practice, this is extremely difficult because plant-derived ingredients behave very differently from those found in animal milk. The main difference between regular and plant-based cheese production is that there is only one main ingredient in regular cheese (milk from different sources) and the different cheese varieties are produced by utilizing different processing routes (1).

Vegan cheese is created from plant-based proteins rather than animal products. The proteins used in plant-based cheeses are mainly derived from pea, soy, lupin, potato, nuts, and corn. The proteins need to fulfill different physicochemical and functional attributes with emulsification, gelation, water holding, and flavor pre-cursor properties being the most important one (1).

You’ll discover several sorts of cheese based on nuts like cashew and macadamia as well as vegetable oils like coconut oil. Most cheese is created from soy. Other than those four main ingredients, however, there are many more that may be utilized to create vegan cheese.

Soy, coconut, and almonds are the most often used primary components in vegan cheese, however, different varieties may be manufactured.

Starches are one of the most commonly used polysaccharide-based ingredients in plant cheese analogs, because of their ability to form a viscous paste or gel upon heating (gelatinization) and cooling (retrogradation/setback), which entraps fluids and other ingredients within the 3D-polysaccharide network formed. Finally, a wide variety of plant-derived fats have been used to formulate plant-based foods, such as avocado, canola, cocoa, coconut, corn, palm, vegetable, safflower, sesame, soybean, and sunflower oils (1).

What is the Process for Making Vegan Cheese?

Vegan cheese is prepared in the same way as regular cheese, but without the use of dairy milk as a starter. After separating the bacteria from the plant proteins, the cheese is thickened using oils and thickeners to get the desired cheese-like texture. Vegetable protein and bacteria are allowed to break down and generate tastes that are distinct and near to typical cheese in vegan cheese, just like in traditional cheese.

The production process can be summarized as follows: Proteins and starches are extracted from plants and dried. The fractionated protein and/or polysaccharide ingredients are then solubilized in water and blended with oil to create a plant-based emulsion. Then, this mixture may be solidified using a variety of approaches, including heating, chilling, pH adjustment, enzyme addition, or salt addition. During these various processes, proteins are often solubilized, denatured, and/or aggregated, starches are often gelatinized, fats are emulsified, melted, and/or crystallized, and gums may undergo coil helix transitions, with the precise processes occurring depending on the nature of the ingredients and processes used. Thus, this processing route employs numerous phase transitions to yield the final cheese analog: solid (plant raw material) → liquid (extraction/fractionation) → solid (dried ingredients) → liquid (emulsion) → solid (plant-based cheese) (1).

There are several varieties of vegan cheese

Since vegan cheese now appears in almost every kind of regular cheese, “dropping cheese” is no longer a legitimate excuse to discourage people from being vegan.

In co-ops and big supermarket shops, you can usually get vegan cheeses.

The most common kinds of vegan cheese are as follows.

Parmesan style– Vegan parmesan cheese, grated in the parmesan manner, is popular as a topping for pizza, pasta, and even popcorn.

Shredded– Shredded vegan cheese comes in two varieties: mozzarella and cheddar, the latter of which melt very well when heated up. If you’re making pizza, spaghetti, tacos, or casseroles, shredded vegan cheese is a great addition.

Cream cheese– cream cheese is excellent on toast, bagels, and vegan croissants. They come in a wide range of tastes, much like regular cheese.

Block and slice-Different types of cheese, including gouda, cheddar, provolone, and American, are available in blocks and slices. In crackers or a sandwich, they’re the most delicious

Soft vegan cheese– Soft cheese-Ricotta, brie, and camembert cheese are all examples of soft vegan cheese.

Nacho cheese dips- Vegan nacho cheese dips are now available, and you may use them to serve with tortilla chips as a dipping alternative. Making them at home is also simple.

Is it Safe to Eat Vegan Cheese?

If you eat vegan cheese regularly, it may or may not be beneficial for you. However, unlike typical cheese that should not be consumed blindly. If you’re ignoring other foods and nutrients, eating too much of one thing might be hazardous.

Even though vegan cheeses vary, some include components that are highly processed, which is not a healthy way of eating. According to studies, favoring natural foods over processed ones is a good approach to get more nutrients and be healthier in general (2).

Studies comparing vegetarian / vegan diets with omnivorous diets concluded both positive and negative effects. These contradicting results are commonly explained by the fact that early studies did not distinguish between healthy and unhealthy vegetarian/ vegan diets and that the foods eaten in vegetarian diets have turned more towards unhealthy foods in recent years. For example, a diet based on starchy and sugar-rich plant-based foods is still considered vegetarian/vegan but may have adverse health effects. These findings are especially relevant for processed plant-based foods. Some plant-based cheese types mainly contain processed ingredients such as starch and oils and further studies need to elucidate their effects on human health in this food matrix (1).

In addition to being devoid of key micronutrients, highly processed vegan cheese frequently includes large quantities of oil, preservatives, color chemicals, and sodium, to put it another way, these items should only be included in very little amounts of our diet.

The more entire components, such as groundnuts and seeds or cooked veggies with additional spices, the more important vegan cheese may be in your diet.