Kraft Launches Plant-Based ‘NotCheese’ Slices
So vegetarians, vegans and dairy avoiders can have plant-based cheese on their plant-based burgers and sandwiches.
Photo courtesy of Kraft
Planning a Fourth of July barbecue or picnic and unsure what to serve your vegetarian, vegan and/or lactose-intolerant guests while everyone else is chowing down on cheeseburgers and hero sandwiches heaped with meat and … cheese? While, these days, there are plenty of plant-based burgers and meats to offer them, the cheese options for those who avoid dairy and animal products are, some say, distinctly underwhelming.
Even as plant-based foods have been proliferating at the grocery store, the plant-based cheese category has lagged. Kraft Heinz claims that’s an indicator of disappointing options. In fact, 47 percent of people say they are “dissatisfied with taste, texture, variety and availability” of plant-based cheeses.
Now, ahead of the summer holiday, the Kraft Heinz Not Company — the food and beverage giant’s plant-based-food-focused subsidiary, formed in a joint venture in 2022 — is introducing Kraft NotCheese Slices, which, it says, “look, feel and taste” like animal-based cheese slices. Cue the fireworks!
“The creamy texture and dairy-like meltability will make it hard to believe these slices are made with plant-based ingredients,” a company spokesperson tells Food Network.
The slices, which are Kraft Heinz Not Company’s second product and the first that will be distributed nationwide, will come in three varieties — American, Cheddar and Provolone — in 10-slice packs and feature plant-based ingredients including chickpea and coconut oil. Devoid of artificial flavors or dyes, the slices were apparently a big hit when the company tested them out in Cleveland in November 2022. Within eight weeks of hitting store shelves, Kraft NotCheese Slices outsold all other branded plant-based slices.
Vegetarians, vegans and dairy eschewers of all stripes, enjoy your “cheese”-“burgers” and cheese sandwiches!
Related Content:
