Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Cheese Available in Spanish Supermarkets: How Do They Compare to Dairy Cheese?

Abstract

Plant-based cheese is one of the most increasingly consumed dairy alternatives. Evidence is lacking on their nutritional quality. We aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition of the plant-based cheese options available in Spanish supermarkets, and how they compare with dairy cheese. An audit of plant-based cheese alternatives has been conducted in seven of the most common supermarkets. For each product, the nutritional content per 100 g and ingredients were collected. Data on generic dairy cheese were retrieved from the BEDCA website. Descriptive statistics (median, minimum and maximum) were used to characterize the plant-based cheese products, for both all the products and grouped by main ingredients (i.e., coconut oil, cashew nuts and tofu). Mann–Whitney U tests were used for comparisons between dairy and different types of plant-based cheese. The coconut oil-based products (the large majority of plant-based cheese products, n = 34) could not be considered as healthy foods. Their major ingredients were refined coconut oil and starches and were high in saturated fats and salt. The other smaller groups, cashew nut- (n = 4) and tofu-based (n = 2), showed a healthier nutritional profile. Replacing dairy cheese with these groups could be nutritionally beneficial. Future investigations should address the health effects of substituting dairy cheese with these products.

Plant-based meat and dairy substitutes on the Norwegian market: comparing macronutrient content in substitutes with equivalent meat and dairy products

“…Milk and dairy substitutes in the present study contained considerably lower levels of protein compared with products based on cow's milk and were observed in all sub-categories. Although, similar trends have been found in previous studies assessing both milk ( 25 , 28 ) and cheese substitutes ( 38 ) , protein content may vary both between- and within-product categories ( 38 – 40 ) . Craig and Fresán analysed the nutrient content of plant-based beverages according to the type of beverage, and found high median protein content (8–9 g/100 g) in beverages based on soy, peas or combinations of legumes and nuts/grains, and low median protein content in (0⋅1–1⋅3 g/100 g) beverages based on nuts, almonds or rice ( 40 ) .…”

Placing a Well-Designed Vegan Diet for Slovenes

“…With the increased popularity of a vegan diet/lifestyle, alternatives to various animalbased products available (e.g., meat analogues, plant-based milk/beverages and vegan cheeses, to name just a few) [283,284,[329][330][331], are more and more present in grocery shops (not only small-sized, specialized shops, but increasingly in commonly available supermarkets) in Slovenia.…”

“…In the last decade, vegan alternatives have expanded considerably [329,330]. However, caution is needed because they should not be automatically equated within their food group (i.e., coconut oil-based cheese vs. cashew nut-based cheese), nor should they be compared with animal-based food groups (i.e., coconut oil-based or tofu-based cheese vs. dairy-based cheese), both in terms of composition and contribution to nutritional adequacy.…”

“…Nevertheless, these vegan products are designed to resemble the taste, appearance and sensory characteristics of traditional animal-based products (i.e., burgers, sausages, milk and cheeses) [329,331]. In addition, these vegan alternatives to animal-based products can be consumed by people adhering to different dietary patterns, either (i) as an aid in the transition to a vegan diet, (ii) as a dietary goal to eating less animal-based foods or (iii) as a low-cost ingredient or food enriching an individual's diet.…”

“…In addition, Spanish researchers recently evaluated the nutritional composition of various plant-based cheeses (i.e., made from coconut oil, cashew nuts and tofu). Not surprisingly, coconut oil-based cheese (e.g., high in saturated fat and sodium) cannot be considered healthy [329], while cashew nut-and tofu-based cheeses both showed a healthier nutritional profile. The replacement of dairy-based cheese with cashew nut-, tofu-and plant-based alternatives could reduce intakes of salt and total fats, while replacing the intake of saturated with unsaturated fats [329].…”