Mozzarella

Whole pizza in close up with New Culture cheese melt

© New Culture
Cheese Alternatives

New Culture Submits Animal-Free Mozzarella Product Label to California Department of Food and Agriculture

Animal-free dairy producer New Culture has submitted the product label and registration for its mozzarella to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). It is believed to be the first time a label for a product made with animal-free casein has been submitted to the department for review. Produced using precision fermentation, New Culture’s casein enables animal-free cheeses to melt, stretch, bubble, and brown. Traditional cheesemaking techniques are used to turn the casein into mozzarella, with the addition of ingredients such as water, sunflower oil, coconut oil, salt, sugar, starch, and fortifying minerals. The resulting product is claimed to provide the same taste and texture as mozzarella with a much lower environmental impact. Its nutritional profile is said to be similar to conventional mozzarella, …

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JULIENNE BRUNO mozzarella pearl-style vegan cheese

© JULIENNE BRUNO
Products & Launches

JULIENNE BRUNO Launches “World’s First” Commercial Mozzarella Pearl-Style Cheese Alternative at Whole Foods UK

Artisan vegan cheese brand JULIENNE BRUNO has announced the launch of a new product inspired by mozzarella pearls at Whole Foods Market UK. Called Mozzafiore Pearls, the cheese alternative is created using traditional cheese-making techniques, using soy instead of dairy. The fermentation process is said to provide the plant-based cheese with a soft and springy texture and a creamy and subtly salty flavour. The Mozzafiore Pearls are free of nuts, gluten, and artificial flavourings. The product is the first launch of JULIENNE BRUNO’s Collection 02, with more additions set to arrive later in the year. It is also the brand’s first hard cheese, and is claimed to be the world’s first commercial mozzarella pearl-style dairy-free product. According to the company, the name Mozzafiore Pearls has …

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Three men eating pizza

© Letrino Foods
Fermentation

Fooditive Partners With the World’s Largest Mozzarella Cheese Producer to Commercialize its Animal-Free Casein

The Netherlands’ Fooditive Group, a manufacturer of fermented ingredients, announces a partnership with the US dairy company Leprino Foods Company to commercialize its non-animal casein. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Leprino Foods is the world’s largest mozzarella cheese and lactose producer and a leading supplier of whey protein, micellar casein, and sweet whey. Under a long-term licensing agreement, Leprino Foods will have exclusive worldwide rights to produce animal-free casein using Fooditive’s precision fermentation technology. It will also have exclusive global rights to market and distribute the novel casein for cheese and non-exclusive rights for all other food applications. According to the companies, the partnership aims to promote sustainability while broadening the scope of innovative food products. Fooditive CEO Moayad Abushokhedim emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainability …

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Plant-based made using traditional fermentation

© FÆRM
Investments & Finance

FÆRM Receives €1.3M to “Democratize” Plant-Based Cheese with Fermentation Method

Danish plant-based cheese startup FÆRM has received follow-on funding through a founder-friendly convertible loan of €1.3 million from BioInnovation Institute‘s Venture House program. FÆRM is a B2B company licensing a patented method that mimics dairy fermentation to produce what it describes as flavorful, high-quality, and clean-label plant-based cheese. Food producers or both dairy and plant-based cheese companies can integrate FÆRM‘s process without significant investments to make products and tap into the growing vegan cheese market.  “Every day, Andrea Donau and the rest of our amazing team at FÆRM are working hard to democratize plant-based cheese. And this new collaboration with BioInnovation Institue Venture House is a big step forward,” co-founder Mikkel Dupont shared on social media. What makes cheese great? Andrea Donau and Dupont established FÆRM in 2020 to revolutionize plant-based cheese using …

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Plant-based cheese startup Dreamfarm expands to Belgium

© Dreamfarm
Cheese Alternatives

Almond-Based Cheese Startup Dreamfarm Expands to Belgium Following “Incredibly Successful” Italian Launch

Italian plant-based cheese startup Dreamfarm has announced it is expanding to Belgium, rolling out at Delhaize stores from March 14. The expansion follows the company’s “incredibly successful” launch in the Italian market. Dreamfarm offers almond-based products that provide healthy alternatives to cheese. While many plant-based cheeses are made predominantly with coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat, Dreamfarm’s products have minimal saturated fat and a Nutriscore of A. The company’s flagship product is a liquid-state mozzarella alternative, which is made using a proprietary processing technique and is the first plant-based mozzarella to ever achieve certified liquid status from the Italian government. Dreamfarm has also developed a plant-based cheese spread. “After two years of testing, we are very pleased with the first products we are …

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© Dreamfarm
Investments & Acquisitions

Italy’s Dreamfarm Raises €5M for “Groundbreaking” Almond-Based Mozzarella

Italian plant-based cheese startup Dreamfarm has secured €5 million in investment from accomplished food industry entrepreneurs Giampaolo Cagnin and Francesco Mutti. The funding comes after the company achieved a “groundbreaking milestone” by developing a unique almond-based mozzarella alternative. Like conventional dairy mozzarella, the plant-based cheese is sold as a ball suspended in liquid. According to Dreamfarm, it is the first plant-based mozzarella to ever achieve government-certified liquid status. The product also contains less than 1% saturated fat, far lower than conventional mozzarella and other plant-based alternatives. It is made from Italian almonds and has received a Nutriscore of A, the highest possible rating. New facility and expansion Some of the funding has already been used to establish a production facility in Sala Baganza, equipped with …

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Melt Pizzas collaborates with NotCo

Image: Melt Pizzas/NotCo
Food Service

NotCo Partners With Chile’s Melt Pizzas to Launch Two Vegan Pizzas Topped With NotCheese

Chilean food tech company NotCo has partnered with Melt Pizzas, a popular Chilean restaurant chain, to develop two plant-based pizzas. Both pizzas — The Vegan Pesto Margarita and the Vegan Veggie — are topped with NotCo’s mozzarella-style plant-based NotCheese. The Vegan Pesto Margarita also features cherry tomatoes and vegan pesto, while the Vegan Veggie is topped with red onion, green pepper, mushroom, black olives, corn, and tomato. Melt Pizzas said it chose NotCheese because the product’s melting properties are superior to other vegan cheeses, hinting that it may also roll out more options using the cheese alternative in future. The chain added that it has previously offered four vegan pizzas, which have all been a “complete success”, as the trend towards plant-based foods continues to …

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New Culture mozzarella on a pizza

Image credit: Evan Robinson
Gastronomy & Food Service

New Culture’s “Groundbreaking” Animal-Free Mozzarella Makes World Debut in Los Angeles

New Culture’s animal-free mozzarella made its world debut yesterday, where leading chefs, culinary influencers and media gathered at the acclaimed Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles to taste the revolutionary cheese. Hosted by award-winning chef Nancy Silverton, the event gave guests a first chance to experience New Culture’s “first-of-its-kind” mozzarella, made from precision fermentation instead of cows.  Silverton and her team designed and prepared a four-course meal to showcase the versatility of New Culture’s cheese. The menu included arancini, eggplant parmesan, and speciality pizzas that featured the mozzarella chunked, shredded, sliced and baked.  Major milestone According to New Culture, the event marked an important milestone as the company prepares for its official launch at Pizzeria Mozza in 2024.  “The evening was an incredible debut for our …

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Real Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

©New Culture
Gastronomy & Food Service

New Culture Partners with Chef Nancy Silverton to Launch “Revolutionary” Animal-Free Mozzarella in 2024

Precision fermentation startup New Culture announces it is partnering with iconic chef and restauranteur Nancy Silverton to launch its first product – animal-free mozzarella – in Silverton’s acclaimed Pizzeria Mozza restaurant in 2024. New Culture says the debut will mark a significant milestone in making its animal-free dairy cheese available to consumers.  As the co-owner of the renowned Mozza Restaurant Group, Silverton is known for her focus on high-quality pizza crust and premium mozzarella cheese.  According to New Culture, its product is the first animal-free cheese to meet Silverton’s high standards and be offered on the meny at any of her restaurants. The launch will feature two new pizzas: A traditional Margherita and a caponata pizza with eggplant, tomato confit, pickled onions and caperberries.  New Culture …

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Plant-Based Mozzarella Sticks

©Farm Rich
Products & Launches

Farm Rich Debuts First Plant-Based Mozzarella Style Sticks at Kroger and Walmart

Farm Rich, a leading US brand of frozen cheese sticks, announces it is adding several new snacks to its lineup, including its first-ever Plant-Based Mozzarella Style Sticks. The cheese sticks are now available in the freezer sections at US retailers nationwide, including Walmart and Kroger. Described as an indulgent cheese alternative snack, the new product is made with melty dairy-free cheese in a crispy golden breading and comes with a side of marinara sauce. Each serving includes 4 grams of protein and 5% of daily recommended fiber.  According to Farm Rich, it was the first company to introduce frozen mozzarella sticks into grocery stores in 1982. With the new Plant-Based Mozzarella Style Sticks, the brand says it now offers a snack that even consumers with …

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Finnish dairy company launches vegan mozzarella

© Jokilaakson Juusto/Ilo
Cheese Alternatives

Finnish Dairy Company Expands Vegan Range With Mozzarella Alternative

Jokilaakson Juusto is a Finnish dairy company making cheeses and gourmet spreads. In 2007, the producer launched a plant-based brand, Ilo, which was initially focused on hummus. Jokilaakson then introduced a range of vegan cheeses under the Ilo brand, including artisan cashew-based varieties, pizza cheese, and spreads in flavours such as garlic and sweet jalapeno. The products are made alongside the company’s dairy cheeses in the town of Jämsä, where cheese has been produced since the 1950s. Now, the Ilo range has been expanded with Vegan Mozzis, an alternative to mozzarella slices. When melted, the slices are said to have a stringy consistency and a mild flavour, like conventional mozzarella. One package provides just the right amount of cheese for a margherita pizza. The Mozzis …

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raclettes with bedda cheese

© bedda
Cheese Alternatives

bedda Reveals Several Exciting New Vegan Cheeses Incuding First Fermented Offering

Hanburg’s multi-award winning bedda brand, producer of plant-based cheeses, sauces, desserts, dips and dressings, plans an upcoming launch of several new vegan cheeses including its first fermented offering. The news comes less than two months after the German company’s partnership with Dominos pizza, which now uses its vegan grated melt as a topping for the Oh Jacky jackfruit pizza, launched to coincide with Veganuary. The upcoming new products include: The first fermented product from bedda –“bedda Shepherd” — a new iteration of its shepherd’s cheese alternative. bedda “Come on Bert”, its camembert alternative, has an updated recipe and is extended by the red smear alternative Red Bert and the blue mould alternative Blue Bert. bedda “Mo Zart” is its mozzarella alternative, a soft, mildly acidic …

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© New Culture
Company News

Alt-Dairy Startup New Culture Appoints ‘Hu’ Chocolate CEO Mark Ramadan to Board of Directors

Animal-free cheese startup New Culture announces it is appointing Mark Ramadan, the CEO of leading chocolate brand Hu, to its Board of Directors.  According to New Culture, Ramadan’s appointment marks the company’s next step as it prepares for its first public tastings of animal-free mozzarella, in preparation for a US launch in 2024.  Ramadan is currently the CEO of Hu (pronounced “hue”), which is said to be America’s leading better-for-you chocolate brand. Imploring consumers to “Get Back to Human”,  Hu sells a range of dairy-free chocolate bars made from a strict list of simple ingredients. Many of Hu’s chocolates are vegan as well as paleo and refined sugar-free.  Prior to Hu,  Mark was the co-founder and CEO of Sir Kensington’s, which produces a line of …

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Vegan Rocket Veggie, Domino's France

Vegan Rocket Veggie © Domino's France
Fast Food

Domino’s France Launches the Vegan Rocket Veggie With Vegan Mozzarella

Domino’s France, which has not launched any new vegan pizzas since Veganuary 2021, has just launched a new product: the Vegan Rocket Veggie with tomato sauce, vegan mozzarella, rocket and Kalamata olive oil. Vegan mozzarella is a new feature at Domino’s, which until now has only used vegan grated cheese. Three vegan pizzas are now available in France: The Vegan Rocket Veggie, with tomato sauce, mozzarella, rocket and PDO Kalamata olive oil. Vegan Peppina, with tomato sauce, vegan grated cheese, mushrooms, onions, pepper duo, pitted organic Kalamata olives, fresh tomatoes and oregano. Vegan Margherita, with tomato sauce and vegan grated cheese. Just last week Domino’s introduced a vegan pizza in Germany called the Oh Jacky, stating it to be the first QSR chain in Germany …

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new cultures's mozzarella cheese melting in an oven baked pizza on a plate

© New Culture
Investments & Finance

New Culture Secures Investment for its Animal-Free Mozzarella

New Culture has announced an undisclosed investment from Korean food and biotech giant CJ CheilJedang to advance its animal-free mozzarella at scale.    New Culture — which plans to launch its “melty, stretchy mozzarella” at pizzerias in 2023 — explains that the new investment will go towards product development and scale-up. Founded in New Zealand but now based in San Leandro, California, New Culture creates animal-free mozzarella using microbial caseins produced via precision fermentation. The company claims its cheese alternative, made without cows, tastes and functions exactly like traditional dairy. “Invaluable experience and connections” A leading food and biotechnology company and the world’s leading fermentation-based bio-products supplier, CJ CheilJedang is also a 25% market-share holder in the US frozen pizza market. In 2019, the company …

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Babybel Dairy-Free Canada

©Bel Group Canada
Products & Launches

Bel Canada Launches Babybel Plant-Based in Canada as it Aims for 50% Dairy-Free Portfolio

Bel Canada Group announces it has launched Babybel Plant-Based into Canadian retail stores this week. A dairy-free version of the company’s famous snacking cheese, the debut is part of Bel’s strategy to become a global leader in cheese alternatives and make half its offerings plant-based by 2030. Babybel Plant-Based, which rolled out in the US and UK earlier this year, is made to look and taste like the company’s popular Mini Babybel cheese wheels. Made from coconut oil, the green wax-coated cheeses offer a mozzarella flavor while being fully lactose-free. The company states Babybel Plant-Based joins its other dairy-free products, Nurishh and Boursin, that have already launched in Canadian retail. “We are always attentive to the needs and expectations of consumers,” said Marie–Ève Robert, Vice-President …

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Miyoko's Food Truck Tour

©Miyoko's Creamery
Marketing & Media

Miyoko’s Creamery Launches Multi-State ‘Foodie Truck Tour’ and Debuts New Smoked Gouda Cheese

Dairy-free pioneer Miyoko’s Creamery announces the launch of its Foodie Truck Tour – a new tasting tour bringing Miyoko’s award-winning butter and cheeses to multiple states this fall. Today, the brand is also releasing a new limited-edition Smoked Gouda cheese wheel at Whole Foods Market. Starting off in Northern California’s Sonoma Wine Country, the tour is making scheduled stops in the Bay Area, Southern California, Arizon and Austin, TX, where it will wrap up in November. Along the way, the brand will serve a “one-of-a-kind” tasting experience featuring dishes such as cajun street corn and orzo aglio e burro with Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter, margherita pizza made with its liquid cheese, and caprese salad with fresh plant milk mozzarella. Fans will also be treated to …

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New Culture Fermented Mozzarella Cheese

© New Culture
Company News

ADM and New Culture Announce Strategic Partnership to Scale Animal-Free Mozzarella and Dairy Products

Agribusiness leader ADM and animal-free dairy company New Culture are forming a strategic partnership to accelerate the commercialization of alt-dairy foods. The partnership will include joint product development and scaling of New Culture’s animal-free casein and dairy innovations, which are expected to launch in US food service in 2023.  Founded in New Zealand, New Culture creates animal-free dairy products using precision fermentation techniques that produce casein, one of the primary proteins found in cow’s milk. By making casein without cows, New Culture offers cheese and other foods that are indistinguishable in taste and texture from traditional dairy. The new partnership will utilize ADM’s broad product development resources to accelerate New Culture’s applications. The startup will also have access to ADM’s full pantry of sustainable, plant-based …

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Bandit_FreshMozz_Peaches Bandit

©Bandit
Investments & Finance

Conscious Cultures Raises $1.5M & Rebrands to ‘Bandit’ as it Pushes Boundaries for Vegan Cheese

Plant-based foods company Conscious Cultures announces it has raised $1.5M in seed funding as it officially rebrands to Bandit. The round was led by venture capital firm Prime Movers Lab, and the funds will be used to continue scaling production and expand Bandit’s fan base. Bandit produces artisan dairy-free cheeses made primarily from cashews and coconut, including Fresh Mozz (mozzarella), Philly Spread (cream cheese), and Fruit ‘n Nut (cranberry goat cheese.) It also produces a line of signature varieties such as Maverick (a cave-aged double cream bloomy rind) and Barn Cat (a cave-aged, vegetable ash ripened cheese with an ash inlay.) Best tasting “The Bandit team is pushing the boundaries of cultured, plant-based milks, producing the most compelling vegan cheeses on the market. We have …

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Mooliss "best-melting vegan mozzarella"

© Mooliss
Cheese Alternatives

“Best-Melting Vegan Mozzarella on the Market” by New York’s Mooliss Rolls Out Into 400 Pizzerias

New York-based brand Mooliss is to launch what it claims is the “best-melting vegan mozzarella on the market” into over 400 pizzerias across the US. Made from coconut, the Plant-Based Mozzarella-Style Shreds are currently sold for food service and a retail launch is planned for this June. The company says some pizzerias are already using the “smooth and creamy” cheese with “astounding success”. The product, which was developed by pizza chefs, is now available across the US for online ordering and delivery. Free retail samples are available via the company’s website. The market for vegan mozzarella According to a market report, mozzarella products have the largest revenue share of any segment in the vegan cheese market due to their widespread use in dishes such as …

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