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Vegan cheese made from fermented peas could taste more like dairy

When a mixture of pea protein and sunflower oil is fermented with lactic acid-producing bacteria, it develops a firm texture and produces flavour compounds found in dairy cheese

By Gennaro Tomma

24 October 2023

The researchers produced a plant-based cheese by fermenting yellow pea protein

Department of Food Science/University of Copenhagen

The ancient process of fermentation could help to produce plant-based cheese that more closely resembles the texture and flavour of traditional cheese.

Plant-based alternatives to animal-derived food are becoming increasingly popular, in part because of the environmental impact of livestock farming, but vegan cheeses have so far struggled to gain popularity with consumers.

Plant proteins behave differently from animal proteins, making it difficult to replicate the texture and flavour of dairy cheese. Most vegan cheeses are derived from starch and …

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