Following its recent acquisition of Bute Island Foods Ltd., Saputo Dairy has unveiled a new Vegan Society accredited plant-based mozzarella cheese under its market-leading Vitalite brand, which is now available to foodservice operators and manufacturers in the UK.
“Appetite for plant-based eating is at an all-time high, almost two and a half million UK households now having a vegan or vegetarian household member”
As the first product under the Vitalite brand since the acquisition, the vegan mozzarella will be produced by Bute Island Foods Ltd., the Scottish producer of heritage brand Scheese. Offering a three-month chilled life, the product is made from a coconut-oil base and is preservative free.
Dairy free since 2003, the company reports that Vitalite is the UK’s number one fully dairy-free brand, with a value of £12.6million. In 2019 the brand entered into the dairy free cheese market with block and sliced retail lines, which continue to perform well according to the company’s press release.
Marketing Controller Emilie Grundy commented: “Specially developed to help foodservice operators and food manufacturers satisfy the growing demand for vegan and plant-based dishes, we’re extremely proud to launch this new extension to our Vitalite range. Our innovation team have worked incredibly hard to achieve a product quality that delivers both the taste and performance of a true mozzarella and we have already received glowing commendations from third party vegan food manufacture specialists.
“Appetite for plant-based eating is at an all-time high, almost two and a half million UK households now having a vegan or vegetarian household member and many millions more taking conscious steps to reduce their dairy consumption. As the foodservice marketplace opens up post-pandemic we believe there’s a real opportunity for the trade to satisfy this consumer demand with delicious and credible alternatives to cheese.”
The new Vitalite dairy free mozzarella is available to buy as a 2kg grated format or a variable weight bulk block.
