Heriot-Watt researchers develop low-saturated-fat vegan cheese using oleogel technology

Scientists at Heriot-Watt University are developing a new type of vegan cheese that significantly reduces saturated fat content while improving texture and meltability, addressing two of the category’s most persistent challenges.

• Researchers at Heriot-Watt develop a vegan cheese formulation that reduces saturated fat content to as low as 3% using oleogelation technology.
• The approach replaces coconut and palm oil with UK-grown sunflower or rapeseed oil while maintaining solid fat functionality.
• The project has secured new EPSRC funding to move from lab-scale development to consumer testing within the next 10 months.

The work, led by Professor Stephen Euston from the university’s School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, has focused on rethinking the fat system in vegan cheese, a category that has struggled to match the nutritional profile and functionality of conventional dairy.

“I think it’s fair to say that when most people try vegan cheese for the first time, they don’t wax lyrical,” Euston said.

He pointed to the fundamental compositional differences between dairy and plant-based cheese as a key factor. “The main reason for that is probably to do with the lack of protein. ‘Normal’ cheese is mostly protein, whereas vegan cheese has none,” he said. “It’s mostly starch, with a few colourings and flavourings added, and sometimes a bit of salt.”

Fat plays a central role in bridging that gap. Most vegan cheese products rely on coconut or palm oil to replicate the structure and melting properties of dairy cheese. However, these fats are high in saturated fat and have come under increasing scrutiny from both health and environmental perspectives.

“Its other main ingredient is fat: either coconut or palm oil,” Euston said. “Solid fats help create the sliceable, meltable texture people expect from cheese. But it means that vegan cheese ends up with a high saturated fat content, often up to 25%, which means it isn’t the healthiest option.”

Consumer concerns have also extended beyond nutrition. “Consumers are becoming increasingly averse to palm and coconut oil due to the deforestation involved and its impact on wildlife like orangutans,” he added.

The research team’s solution has been to replace these tropical oils with locally sourced alternatives such as sunflower or rapeseed oil, which have a lower saturated fat content. The challenge, however, lies in transforming these liquid oils into a form that behaves like a solid fat.

“Vegetable oils have a lower saturated fat content, but the challenge is making them behave like solid fat, so that the vegan cheese has something resembling the texture of ‘normal’ cheese,” Euston said. “We’re very mindful of reducing food miles, so we’re focused on using crops that can be grown sustainably, at scale, in the UK.”

To achieve this, the researchers have applied a technique known as oleogelation. This process involves adding molecules called oleogelators to liquid oil, which then assemble into microscopic structures that trap the oil and create a three-dimensional network. The resulting gel mimics the behavior of solid fat.

The team reported that the reformulated cheese not only reduced saturated fat levels but also improved functional performance. In particular, meltability, often cited as a weakness of vegan cheese, showed notable gains.

“Meltability is one of the biggest complaints about vegan cheese – it’s not very 'oozey' – so improving that feature is an unintended bonus,” Euston said.

The current formulation has achieved saturated fat levels as low as 3%, a substantial reduction compared with conventional plant-based cheese products. The researchers confirmed that the concept has been validated under laboratory conditions, but further work is required to assess performance in real-world settings.

“We’ve proved that our recipe, which reduces the saturated fat content of the cheese to as low as 3%, works theoretically and in our lab,” Euston said. “But we’ve yet to take it to the kitchen and onto a plate.”

With new funding from the UK Research and Innovation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the team is preparing to move into the next phase of development. This will involve scaling the formulation and conducting sensory evaluations with consumers.

“We’re hoping to do that within the next 10 months, when it will be presented to a tasting panel,” Euston said. “It won’t taste any better or worse than the current vegan cheese slices on the market, but it will be more heart healthy and greener.”

The research builds on nearly a decade of collaboration between Euston’s team and a food innovation company, alongside previous funding from UKRI’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and industry partners.

As the plant-based sector continues to evolve, the project highlights ongoing efforts to address nutritional and functional limitations in alternative dairy products through ingredient and process innovation.