Some companies have found ways to use genetically engineered yeast<\/a>, bacteria or fungi<\/a> to produce copies of the casein proteins found in cow\u2019s milk.<\/p>\n These proteins self-assemble to form tiny spherical structures called micelles, which play a key role in cheese\u2019s structure and stretchiness. The non-dairy caseins can be used first to make milk and then cheese.<\/p>\n Vegan cheeses generally need very high concentrations of fat to create a product that can be sliced and melted. Coconut oil and palm oil are the most common types, both of which contain high levels of saturated fat.<\/p>\n Scientists continue to innovate to create better-tasting, healthier vegan cheeses. A team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh recently developed<\/a> a way to create a meltable product using unsaturated sunflower oil or rapeseed oil.<\/p>\n They add molecules called oleogelators<\/a>, which include waxes or proteins, to liquid oil to create a three-dimensional gel structure that behaves like a solid fat and is better at oozily melting than cheeses formed from coconut or palm oil.<\/p>\n In another recent development, scientists at the University of Arkansas, US, reported that waste products from rice milling<\/a> could be good for making protein-packed vegan cheese.<\/p>\n They analysed proteins from brown rice, broken kernels and rice bran before combining them with coconut oil and corn starch to make a cheese with around 12 per cent protein.<\/p>\n Each protein fraction has different characteristics. In tests, cheese from brown rice protein had a firmer texture, whereas rice kernel proteins gave the most meltable cheese.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, microalgae<\/a>, tiny organisms found in water, offer a tangy alternative. Microalgae can grow in big vats called bioreactors, fuelled by light and carbon dioxide.<\/p>\n One option is to make a microalgae protein flour and homogenise it with water to make a kind of milk.<\/p>\n The microalgae are an excellent source of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Products made with them are reported to have a satisfyingly savoury taste known as umami.<\/p>\n So, while dairy cheese makers will always provide premium products for aficionados, vegan alternatives continue to get healthier and more like the real thing.<\/p>\n This article is an answer to the question (asked by Wendy Copsey, Lichfield) ‘What is the future of cheese?’<\/p>\n To submit your questions, email us at questions@sciencefocus.com, or message our Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a>, or Instagram<\/a> pages (don’t forget to include your name and location).<\/p>\n Check out our ultimate fun facts<\/a> page for more mind-blowing science<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cheese.jpg\")
Food scientists trying to create a convincing plant-based cheese must manipulate oils and proteins to create a fatty substance that is solid at room temperature, but melts when hot – Image credit: Adam Gale<\/p>\n