Cheese analogues can be defined as products made by combining a number of different elements such as non-dairy fats or proteins that together create a cheese-like product. They are often cost-effective, mainly due to the simplicity of their manufacture and the replacement of selected milk ingredients by cheaper vegetable products.
Cheese analogues are flexible and consequently feature widely across the convenience food sector, where they extend the supply and lower the cost. They are also popular as they often contain less total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
As well as fat and protein elements a flavour system is required to match as closely the natural product. Processing must be adapted to create the desired product with required texture and organoleptic properties
