Revealing the Latest Cautionary Tales about Veganism and Dairy Cheese: The Bitter Reality

Choosing vegan cheese alternatives because they are plant-based, ethical, or environmentally friendly, has gained considerable popularity recently. However, a recent investigation by Action on Salt has raised concerns about these products’ nutritional value, particularly in light of their salt level. This study has raised questions concerning the salt content of traditional dairy cheeses and clarified vegan cheese. Is it really a better choice to eat vegan cheese?

The Study

Action on Salt, a group of professionals concerned about the health effects of salt, conducted a thorough evaluation of 600 cheddar and comparable cheeses available on the UK market. The debate about the amount of salt in dairy and vegan cheeses has been sparked by their findings.

Getting Salty: Adding up the numbers

The study showed that the average plant-based cheese had an 1.91 grams of salt per 100 grams. It was startling to see that some vegan cheeses were up to 10% more salty than their traditional cheddar counterparts. This discovery has debunked the notion that vegan alternatives are superior to dairy products by definition.

Salt Content of Dairy Cheese

It’s not like dairy cheese was superior in salt performance here, though. The salt tallies of dairy cheese varied wildly significant among a number of brands and varieties. Asda’s 30% Less Fat Mature British Cheese topped the list with 2g of salt per 100g, while Morrisons Savers Mild Coloured Cheddar has 28% less salt at 1.44g per 100g.

With Regard to Saturated Fat

The study brought up concerns about the saturated fat level of vegan cheeses in addition to their high salt content. Despite their reputation for being healthy, a lot of plant-based alternatives were found to be high in saturated fats, typically as a result of the use of coconut oil in their production.

Medical Conferences

It’s not just idle chat, the medical professionals have long said that eating too much salt is a risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. According to the Department of Health & Social Care, every gram of salt that people consume less frequently could prevent almost 4,000 premature deaths each year. Cutting years off your life by taking too much salt is a real possibility.

Professor Graham MacGregor, the chairman of Action on Salt, emphasised that “reducing salt is the most cost-effective measure to lower blood pressure and reduce the number of people suffering from strokes and heart disease and life-changing disabilities associated with this – all of which is completely avoidable.”

“reducing salt is the most cost-effective measure to lower blood pressure and reduce the number of people suffering from strokes and heart disease and life-changing disabilities associated with this – all of which is completely avoidable”.

Professor Graham MacGregor, the chairman of Action on Salt

The Cheese-Related Vegan Dilemma

The findings provide a dilemma for customers who have resorted to vegan cheese as an allegedly superior option. Despite the fact that these products are better for the environment and animal welfare, their nutritional value may fall short of what consumers who are concerned about their health would want.

Many plant-based lipids, such as coconut oil or almonds, are used in vegan cheeses to mimic the mouthfeel and texture of dairy cheese. These ingredients often add significant amounts of calories and saturated fat, but they can also provide a delicious cheese-like flavour. Why is it always the way with delicious things, damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I for one, want to eat cheese.

One of the things that will help mitigate the lack of protein or nutrition in vegan or plant-based cheese is making sure there is another protein source available. It’s no secret that True Protein is the vegan protein of choice in Australia, and we want you to get $20 off your first purchase of vegan protein so you can eat your nutritionally questionable vegan salty cheese in peace. (Just kidding, step away from the salty faux cheese, man).

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Animal Cheese

Traditional dairy cheeses have some nutritional value, even though their salt content is debatable. They often offer sufficient amounts of calcium, protein, and vitamins. However, given the lack of significant progress in salt reduction over the years, it is concerning. It’s like anything that tastes good, it’s difficult to cut it back even though it’s a death trap. Asking the smokers will reinforce that argument, humans do things that are bad for us all the time.

According to the report, the average salt content of cheddar and comparable cheeses has not changed much since 2012, increasing marginally from 1.68g/100g to 1.70g/100g in 2023. This inertia suggests that the industry may not be placing as much emphasis on salt reduction as medical specialists would like. Who is willing to take the gamble on changing a product? Consumers vote with their feet (and dollars).

Analysing Vegan and Dairy Cheeses

When contrasted, vegan and dairy cheeses have definite pros and cons. Vegan cheeses appeal to people who have ethical or environmental concerns. Dairy cheeses have long been touted for their nutritional qualities. However, the amounts of fat and salt in both types are now being investigated. Part of me thinks investigation should be left to crimes and not delicious foodstuffs.

What to Do?

Use your judgement. Read the labels. Find your line in the sand for the salt percentage you’re willing to accept in your cheese and stick to it. Obviously, moderation is almost always the key. So if you’re going to have a salty cheese blowout occasionally to get your fill, it’s probably not quite as damaging as not changing the salty products you eat on the regular.

By giving preference to lower salt options and paying attention to portion sizes, we can give ourselves a fighting chance to dodge the heart issues caused by excess salt.

Some companies are experimenting on lower-salt vegan and dairy cheeses in an effort to provide better alternatives. Make your choices based on your needs.

Cashew v Coconut

In a study of Nutritional Profiles of Non-Dairy Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives, it was found that products based just on cashews generally had the lowest salt and saturated fat levels and the greatest protein values. Those with coconut oil were most often enriched with vitamin B12 and more usually had greater levels of saturated fat and sodium. The study was quick to point out that plant-based cheese products were not regarded as good dietary sources of either calcium or protein.

Some folks think that if it’s non-dairy cheese, then it has to be better than the dairy alternative. Right? Right? Well no. It turns out that most non-dairy plant-based cheese alternatives contain nearly zero protein. Worse still, these products are fed to children, presuming they are a good nutritional substitute for dairy cheese. The research shows that non-dairy cheese alternatives should not be considered as a nutritional replacement for dairy cheese. In our experience, the products based on cashews alone were found more commonly to have the highest protein levels and lowest sodium and saturated fat levels. As a vegan, that’s a difficult spot because dairy cheese won’t cut it. So then what? Live a life devoid of cheesy goodness? Mercy.

Legal and Industry Conventions

Action on Salt is putting further pressure on the government to reduce the salt content of food products. They contend that the current voluntary guidelines are too loose and are pushing for mandatory salt reduction goals to be implemented after 2024.

Sonia Pombo, the leader of Action on Salt’s campaign, “As a nation, we are all eating far too much salt, much of which is already added by the food industry in everyday family favourites such cheese and risks raising our blood pressure and impacting our health.”

The cheese industry faces a challenge in reformulating products to achieve potential new standards while maintaining the taste and texture consumers expect.

“As a nation, we are all eating far too much salt, much of which is already added by the food industry in everyday family favourites such cheese and risks raising our blood pressure and impacting our health.”

Sonia Pombo, the leader of Action on Salt’s campaign

Prospective Perspective

We love a quandary to get people innovating. Looking ahead, the need to solve the salty problem of vegan cheese may get creative folks coming up with alternatives.

As with anything that could be potentially harmful, the industry knows it needs to change, but who knows when that will happen without regulation. From the customer side, being mindful of salt and shopping accordingly is the fastest way to pressure changes from manufacturers.

Salty Summary

The latest findings from Action on Salt have highlighted serious health risks for cheese eaters who choose dairy and vegan options. While vegan cheeses have gained some traction as dairy product alternatives, they are not necessarily superior choices, particularly when it comes to salt levels.

Customers ought to take the most lesson from the necessity of temperance and prudent choice. Understanding portion sizes, reading labels, and evaluating the overall composition of one’s diet are crucial initial steps in controlling one’s intake of salt.

As the debate continues and potential legislative changes approach, the cheese industry—vegan and dairy alike—will need to adapt. Making products that follow health recommendations and taste fantastic is challenging. Ultimately, this could lead to a wider variety of superior cheese options for people to enjoy.

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