European dairy giant Hochland has partnered with precision fermentation specialist Those Vegan Cowboys, to test the start-up's cow-free casein in semi-hard and hard cheeses.
Based in Belgium and launched in 2019, TVC is Those Vegan Cowboys, making dairy proteins with the technique known as precision fermentation, a no-animal-input process and thereby vegan. It is what in its traditional origin derives from cow's milk, providing much of cheese's taste and texture, among these stretching and melting properties.
Last year, Belgian-Dutch start-up TVC collaborated with several cheese manufacturers to know how its casein behaves under different conditions at the lab-scale. In October 2024, the company announced that under certain conditions, its microbial casein had outperformed the cow's casein currently in use in cheese.
The partnership with Hochland will bring "the core competency" of the start-up's cheese developments to a new dimension, according to the head of TVC, Hille van der Kaa, who described the joint development agreement as the "important next step on the route to commercialisation".
"Our partners have seen better stretching and melting compared to the animal-sourced version, which allows cheese manufacturers to use less casein with the same result, van der Kaa added. "This will ultimately lower the price of cheese. Now that we have this casein, we want it to make as big an impact as possible."
With headquarters in Germany and family-owned, Hochland is one of the private producers of cheese in Europe, reporting €2.25 billion turnover and 413,800 tonnes sales in 2023. It serves approximately 6,100 employees globally, with a product portfolio that includes dairy brands Hochland, Almette, Grünländer and Patros, as well as the plant-based dairy brand Simply V.
CMI Research: Key Plant Based Cheese Industry Insights
As per Coherent Market Insights (CMI), the plant based cheese industry is expected to grow at a considerable CAGR from 2023 to 2030, driven by the increasing number of vegan consumers. The indutry is expected to grow at a significant rate over the foreseen period.
North America is expected to observe significant growth in the industry during the assessment period.
Analyst Opinion: Strategic Role in Plant Based Cheese Industry Growth
As mentioned by senior research analyst Yash Doshi, the growing number of vegan consumers and the rising preference of consumers toward dairy product alternatives due to lactose intolerance are expected to fuel demand for plant-based cheese products over the forecast period.
Conclusion: Business Takeaways
The plant-based cheese industry is continually evolving, and significant partnerships shape innovation. A recent example is Hochland's partnership with Those Vegan Cowboys to test cow-free casein. This growing trend of plant-based alternatives using traditional dairy proteins underscores the potential of the industry to produce more sustainable, dairy-free options, giving businesses opportunities to lead in ethical and innovative food production.
