DMK Group Introduces a Plant-Based Cheese.

hAfter DMK Group debuted vegan pastries and a vegan cocoa drink under the Milram brand in supermarkets during the first quarter of 2022, a new milestone has been reached in this strategic direction. With a vegan cheese substitute, the firm is now creating new market standards in this category: the newest vegan product in the DMK line not only tastes wonderful, but also exhibits the recognisable browning and melting characteristics of traditional cheese. In the first phase, the vegan cheese substitute will be accessible to industrial clients in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The CEO of the DMK Group, Ingo Müller, explains, “We aim to provide our clients a comprehensive and future-ready product line.” “By introducing a vegan cheese alternative to our main product line, we are now able to give our customers the choice of serving vegan clients. Our vegan dessert line has gotten off to a fantastic start despite fairly challenging market circumstances (keyword: inflation) in the food industry. Here, we score with the better flavour of our goods; this is precisely where we aim to make up ground in the cheese market.”

The vegan cheese substitute is dubbed “Velander,” a reference to both the product’s vegan nature and its link to agriculture and origin as a cooperative of farmers.

Focus on application occasions

The vegan DMK cheese version provides distinct benefits for customers and consumers over the present market standard, owing in large part to varied formulas for cold and warm applications. “It is far more difficult to create a plant-based cheese version with the same flavour and texture as traditional cheese than, for instance, oat drinks or other plant-based components. As seasoned cheese specialists, we are the ideal partner for delivering the next generation of plant-based cheese substitutes. This clearly differentiates our product from the competition and attempts to best meet client demands. In addition to taste, the user target group, such as chefs or industrial clients, does not want to sacrifice known qualities such as browning and melting behaviour with the vegan cheese substitute, for example. This is precisely where our Velander comes in,” explains Müller.

The vegan novelty is manufactured in DMK’s biggest cheese plant in Edewecht, Lower Saxony. The firm has developed an extra manufacturing facility where more than three million litres of milk are turned into cheese every day. The Velander was created by DMK cheese specialists with decades of experience. While DMK is only getting started with plant-based cheese varieties, the business claims to be expanding in the typical self-service cheese market with its Milram brand: since 2012, sales in the food retail sector have climbed by more than fivefold. This expertise pays dividends. The end result is a product that is not just persuasive according to market research, but also according to customer and consumer feedback, and that satisfies the needs of a market with double-digit yearly growth.