Armored Fresh VP talks plant-based cheese innovation as consumer reluctance to vegan dairy declines

11 Jun 2024 --- Evolving consumer acceptance and social, economic and environmental needs are opening up new opportunities in the plant-based cheese market, according to Armored Fresh, a US-based food tech company.

Vice president Andrew Yu speaks to Food Ingredients First about trends the company is seeing in F&B, as well as the initial wave of reluctance from consumers to try something new in the dairy space. 

“Although there was a lot of pushback from consumers in the early days against plant-based cheese, these consumers are now a lot more open to it,” says Yu.

He details that plant-based cheese has been around for decades in the US and that significant improvements have been made in terms of taste and texture during that time. 

“What we’re seeing today is a lot of new factors, including macroeconomic factors, that are coming into play and pushing the market of plant-based cheese forward.”

Political and environmental courses play a key role in changing consumer perception, habits and purchasing choices, but there are also “a lot of forces coming from the consumer side,” remarks Yu. 

“We’ve also seen the rate of allergies or intolerances to dairy increasing at a fast rate, faster than allergies to nuts, in fact. A lot of consumers are concerned about what they're putting into their bodies,” he comments, adding that this could be a knock-on effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Improving overall health and well-being, as well as veganism lifestyles, have also grown in popularity,” Yu adds. Armored Fresh harnesses oat-derived ingredients for its line of plant-based cheeses.

“So there are a lot of these different factors that are pushing this forward from both the macroeconomic and external factors, leading to new potential for growth in NPD as well as from a consumer standpoint too,” he says. “Some very exciting things are happening and are on the horizon.”

Appealing to flexitarians and beyond?
Generally, Yu sees that 5% to 10% of consumers may claim to be vegetarians and people who are vegans may be lower or less than 5% of the population. 

Yu points to flexitarians or omnivores as the company’s target demographic, since they are health conscious and open to making changes to their diets.

“These consumers are interested and open to clean label foods and they may even eat plant-based meals two or three times a week.”. Armored Fresh wants these consumers to experience better alternatives to traditional dairy cheeses. But rather than focusing on labeling consumers based on their diets, the company is committed to prioritizing taste and environmental responsibility. 

“We want to offer more sustainable options that provide benefits to both the consumers and the planet. We see this as a win-win for everyone.”Andrew Yu, vice president of Armored Fresh shares insights on the plant-based cheese sector.

The future of plant-based
Commenting on the trajectory of the plant-based movement, Yu predicts this upward trend will continue. 

“I don’t think it’s a flash-in-the-pan trend, so to speak. There is a lot going on and this will always be evolving to suit the needs of the consumer,” he explains. 

“When we think about our Armored Fresh strategy, first of all, we want to provide products that are good for people and we want to develop products that can be used for different lifestyles, and help people reach their personal goals of becoming more healthy.”

Also, Armored Fresh products can support the environment, reduce CO2 emissions and save land mass that is currently being used by the dairy industry. 

You can watch a video interview with Yu here. 

By Elizabeth Green