Kraft Heinz’s is going all in on plant-based alternatives and now along with NotCo is launching NotCheese, a plant-based version of the iconic Kraft American cheese, said its CEO Miguel Patricio. NotCheese will be rolled out next year.
This is the first product from the joint venture between the CPG giant and the artificial-intelligence-powered company that creates plant-based alternatives. While Kraft Heinz has a massive portfolio, it has historically had a relatively small presence in the plant-based alternatives segment.
According to Patricio, Kraft NotCheese is incredible and tastes like cheese, it smells like cheese and melts like cheese. It is very different from everything that is in the market.
The main ingredients are water, coconut oil, modified corn starch and chickpea protein. They will come in American, provolone and cheddar varieties.
Plant-based cheese is a slowly growing category, though most of the players are startups that only make plant-based cheeses.
Kraft Heinz has been supporting food tech to change the cheese market for years. The CPG’s venture arm, Evolv Ventures, has twice invested in New Culture, a startup making animal-free casein in order to create plant-based cheese with its signature stretch.