Uncovering a vegan cheese delight: Credit goes to this age-old fungal specimen
Uncovering a vegan cheese delight: Credit goes to this age-old fungal specimen
A German biotech firm named Formo, stationed in Berlin, believes it has stumbled upon a solution in a minuscule fungus named Koji, which has been providing that distinctive umami taste to staples like soy sauce and miso for centuries in Japanese cuisine. Formo utilizes this fungus to create a protein, acting as the foundation for its dairy-free cheese alternatives.
Raffael Wohlgensinger, Formo's co-founder and CEO, established the company five years ago with the objective of creating cheese in a sustainable manner, consuming minimal land, water, and generating less carbon emissions compared to traditional dairy farming for milk-based cheeses. His motivation was also rooted in his dissatisfaction with the existing range of vegan cheese options available in stores.
In recent times, there has been an influx of consumers opting for dairy-free alternatives to cow's milk, such as oat and almond-based options, and plant- and fungus-based meat substitutes like burgers. However, the enthusiasm for vegan cheese hasn't matched up to these other substitutes, according to Carmen Masia, an application scientist at Novonesis, a Danish biotech firm responsible for providing the necessary bacteria and enzymes for producing fermented foods like yogurt and cheese.
Masia, who has explored consumer tendencies around vegan cheese as part of her doctoral research, stated that conventional bases for these cheeses, such as coconut fat, fail to capture that characteristic "cheesy" taste or texture. "It's just a block of fat... It feels rubbery. It doesn't mimic the dairy cheese texture in your mouth," she mentioned.
Masia pointed out that vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians often express difficulties giving up on cheese due to its unique flavor, which has yet to be replicated. "The code has not been cracked yet."
Masia considered that the current crop of vegan cheeses generally fails to meet consumer expectations. "If you visit a cafe, you can always find oat milk, and many times, even non-vegans choose oat milk because of its taste," she added.
Masia isn't convinced that consumer preferences for dairy cheese will drastically change in the near future, but she believes fermentation – a method using bacteria, yeast, or other microorganisms to divide and transform food, such as transforming milk into yogurt – can lead to better vegan cheese alternatives.
"In the end, if you create something that is truly sustainable, truly nutritious, but it doesn't taste good, people are not really going to buy it."
'Micro-fermentation'
Formo's cheeses seem to have managed to delight a few taste buds. In September, the company raised $61 million during its latest funding round and announced that it would commence selling some of its products, including three flavors of cream cheese, in more than 2,000 stores across Germany and Austria.
Wohlgensinger considered this partnership with REWE, BILLA, and METROsupermarkets a significant milestone for the company. He is preparing for a broader expansion of Formo's products in Europe next year and in the US in 2026.
The secret ingredient?
Formo has invented a new take on fermentation to create its cheeses. It introduces a strain of the Koji fungus into a container, pumps in oxygen, and mixes in sugars and nutrients to foster proteins in large volumes. They refer to this method as "micro-fermentation."
The proteins are extracted and dried to create a powder, which forms the base of Formo's products, including blue and feta-style cheeses.
The Koji protein provides Formo's cheeses with a "creaminess" that is challenging to emulate using plant proteins, which have a different structure and can frequently feel "grainy" in the mouth, said Wohlgensinger, adding that the taste resembles milk-based cheese more closely.
In all the cheese products based on cashews or soy, you can taste cashews or soy, and in the products based on potatoes, you can taste potato starch," he said.
Wohlgensinger claimed that Formo is the first to ferment Koji for cheese. He envisions this method becoming commonplace among food manufacturers in the future.
Formo is also experimenting with a method called precision fermentation, which utilizes microorganisms that have been genetically altered to produce proteins identical to the casein proteins found in animal milk. These synthetic proteins help give Formo's vegan cheeses the taste, texture, and "meltability" of traditional cheese, according to the company.
"If you think about the nice stretchiness of a mozzarella on your pizza, that is truly coming down to the protein structure of casein," Wohlgensinger mentioned. Formo is in the process of getting the cheeses produced via precision fermentation approved for sale by food regulators in the US and Europe. Obtaining approval for these cheeses is a complicated process partly because the production method is unique, Wohlgensinger added.
"We're not here to put small-scale dairy farmers out of business – they will always be a very valuable part of a diverse, resilient food system — but at the same time, I think there is a significant portion of the market... that is bound to be replaced by a more efficient technology," he said.
Animal farming contributes about 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. This makes it a substantial factor in climate change. Cows, particularly, contribute significantly due to their production of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
Aiming for affordability
As Formo expands its production, it aims to reduce its retail prices below those of traditional milk-based cheeses. At present, 100 grams of Formo's cream cheese product cost €1.59 ($1.68), which is €0.32 ($0.34) more expensive than the average price of milk-based cream cheese, according to Wohlgensinger.
However, Formo faces a challenge in convincing cheese enthusiasts to switch due to their deeply ingrained preferences for dairy-based cheeses.
Dairy cheeses possess a special "crave-ability" as per Julie Emmett, VP of marketplace development at the Plant Based Foods Association. This appeal has made it tough for plant-based alternatives to truly compete, unlike plant-based milks.
Emmett explains, "You can't say milk is crave-able. You can say meat is crave-able. But with cheese, it's unique in that respect, something that's an indulgence."
However, Masia from Novonesis believes that fermentation could be the key for dairy-free cheese makers, delivering the desired "cheesy notes" consumers seek. Furthermore, many food producers are requesting Novonesis's bacterial cultures to produce cheese through this process, Masia added.
"People are beginning to open their minds and think, 'Microbes can help us,'" she said.
CNN’s Laura Paddison contributed to reporting.
Formo's innovative use of micro-fermentation with Koji fungus not only reduces the need for traditional dairy farming resources but also provides a creamier texture and taste to their vegan cheese alternatives, making them more appealing to consumers. The company's dairy-free cheese alternatives, such as their cream cheese, could potentially become more affordable than traditional dairy-based cheeses as their production increases.
In the process of creating vegan cheeses, many manufacturers struggle to replicate the distinctive flavor and texture of dairy cheese. However, Formo's partnership with microorganisms through precision fermentation seems to be a promising solution, as it allows them to produce synthetic proteins that closely mimic the structure and flavor of casein proteins found in animal milk.