Cracking the Code for Delicious Vegan Cheese
Creating a vegan cheese that truly satisfies cheese lovers has long been a challenge. But Berlin-based biotech company Formo believes it has found the answer in Koji, an ancient fungus used in Japanese cuisine for its umami flavor. This innovative approach could revolutionize the dairy-free cheese industry.
The Role of Koji in Vegan Cheese
Formo uses Koji in a fermentation process to produce proteins that form the base of their vegan cheese. Koji, historically used in soy sauce and miso, imparts the rich, creamy texture and authentic cheesy flavor missing from many plant-based alternatives.
Co-founder and CEO Raffael Wohlgensinger, who launched Formo five years ago, is on a mission to craft sustainable cheeses that require fewer resources and produce fewer emissions than traditional dairy.
“Being Swiss and a cheese enthusiast, I was disheartened by the lack of good vegan cheese options,” Wohlgensinger shared.
The Challenge: Vegan Cheese Lags Behind
While plant-based milk sales in the U.S. rose by over 1% in 2023, vegan cheese sales dropped by 9%, according to the Plant Based Foods Association.
Carmen Masiá, an application scientist at Novonesis, explains that common bases like coconut fat fail to replicate the texture and flavor of dairy cheeses. “Most vegan cheeses feel rubbery or grainy,” she notes, adding that fermentation could hold the key to better alternatives.
Formo’s Micro-Fermentation Process
Formo’s unique “micro-fermentation” process combines Koji with oxygen, sugars, and nutrients in fermentation tanks. This produces proteins, later dried into a powder that becomes the foundation for their cheeses, including cream cheese, blue cheese, and feta.
This process gives Formo’s cheeses a creaminess that plant proteins like cashew or soy often lack. “With our method, you don’t taste the base ingredient like cashew or potato starch. The flavor is purely cheese-like,” said Wohlgensinger.
Scaling Production and Market Rollout
In September, Formo raised $61 million in funding, enabling them to launch their cream cheese products in over 2,000 German and Austrian stores. A broader European rollout is planned for next year, with U.S. distribution slated for 2026.
Formo is also exploring precision fermentation, a process where genetically engineered microorganisms produce casein proteins identical to those in animal milk. This technique promises to replicate the stretchiness and meltability of traditional cheeses.
Addressing Environmental Impact
Formo aims to lower its prices as production scales. Currently, 100 grams of their cream cheese costs $1.68, slightly higher than traditional dairy equivalents.
The shift toward vegan cheese aligns with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as animal agriculture accounts for 12% of global emissions, per the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
“We’re not trying to put small-scale farmers out of business,” Wohlgensinger emphasized. “But there’s a significant market segment ready for more efficient and sustainable solutions.”
The Future of Vegan Cheese
Despite the challenges, fermentation offers a promising path forward. Julie Emmett of the Plant Based Foods Association highlights that dairy cheeses are uniquely “craveable,” making them hard to replace. However, advancements like Formo’s are closing the gap.
“Microbes are helping us create the cheesy notes people want,” said Masiá. With ongoing innovation, the vegan cheese industry is poised to capture the hearts—and taste buds—of even the most devoted cheese lovers.
Source: CNN
