Non-Dairy Cheese "Analogue" for Pizza

Cargill is probably the hugest company in the U.S. whose name isn't a household word. It's privately owned, the largest such company in the U.S., so it doesn't get the daily attention from the business world that companies with publicly trade stock receive. Cargill had revenues of $120 billion last year, or as much as Microsoft and Boeing combined.

That gives them lots of pennies to pay for R&D. A teeny portion of Cargill, which means huge by any other standard, is Cargill Texturizing Solutions, with a mere 31 plants on five continents.

What did they do in a Belgium laboratory? Come up with a non-dairy cheese "analogue" for pizza. Luckily for me, one of their press releases is in something resembling English, and by that I mean not filled with too many technical terms (rheological? syneresis?) for my brain to process.

Cargill has launched a unique breakthrough innovation that enables the cost-effective production of a 100 percent non-dairy cheese analogue for pizza and other prepared food applications.

Lygomme™ACH Optimum functional system (patent pending) replicates the functionality of dairy protein and replaces it fully at an outstanding cost advantage for the manufacturer.

Fabien Bouron, senior dairy applications specialist at Cargill Texturizing Solutions, explains: “Cheese represents approximately 15 percent of a pizza recipe and given its high and fluctuating price, it can have a significant impact on the cost of frozen pizza production. In order to protect their margins, manufacturers have traditionally had to choose between raising pizza prices, limiting portion sizes, or using a blend of different cheeses depending on their current market value.”

Lygomme™ACH Optimum functional system removes this instability by offering manufacturers a cost-effective cheese alternative for pizza which can be used to completely replace highly volatile dairy proteins. Furthermore, its appearance, taste and texture perfectly match those of processed cheese based on dairy proteins and are similar to those of traditional hard cheeses, such as gouda, cheddar or gruyere, thereby ensuring equal enjoyment and satisfaction for consumers.

A dairy-free solution for cost-optimization
Due to its specific composition, consisting of a combination of three starches, a galactomannan and a gelling carrageenan, Lygomme™ACH Optimum functional system is not liable to price volatility, eliminating fluctuations in recipe cost. Even when taking into account falling dairy prices, it remains highly attractive with up to 60 percent cost reduction compared with a standard analogue cheese (which on average contains 15 percent dairy proteins) and over 200 percent when compared with traditional cheeses such as mozzarella or emmental.

A dairy-free solution for performance
Furthermore, Lygomme™ACH Optimum functional system overcomes the technical challenges associated with the total replacement of dairy proteins, providing the same key physical and rheological properties as those of analogue pizza cheeses: taste, firmness, appearance, shreadability and melting behavior.

Each component has been carefully selected by Cargill’s expert team to play a specific role: allow and stabilize the emulsion, bring sufficient viscosity during processing, absorb the water phase, avoid oiling out and syneresis, create a strong network in order to allow the finished cheese product to be shreadable/sliceable, and have a remelting profile.

A dairy-free solution for health
In addition to the important cost and performance benefits, Lygomme™ACH Optimum functional system also offers health advantages as it contains reduced calories (less fat and no saturated fats) and reduced phosphate intake (no melting salts used). It offers a cheese alternative for people with lactose intolerance and a unique opportunity for vegans to enjoy a product that has the characteristics and taste of cheese but without any animal-derived ingredients. Last but not least, Lygomme™ACH Optimum functional system provides the opportunity to make analogue cheese without allergen labelling, and eligible for Halal and Kosher certification.

When will this be miracle goo be appearing on real-life pizzas? You have to ask the hard questions, don't you? I have no idea. At least somebody out there is thinking of you.

Coconut Craziness Scales Another Mountain

I've posted so many times about agave-sweentened coconut milk non-dairy products over the past year that Planet Coconut is a possible spin-off. Or would I get sued by Jimmy Buffett?

You must be loving it out there. I see as many coconut products as I do coconut trees on desert islands in cartoons. Watch out for your heads! They're falling everywhere.

Let's start with Turtle Mountain. In January I posted Turtle Mountain Goes Coconut Crazy, about the company lines of So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt and Purely Decadent Coconut Milk "Ice Cream." (They don't use quotes around the "ice cream," which drives me crazy. Ice cream is made from milk. Real dairy milk from animals. You can't have non-dairy ice cream. It's confusing and wrong. But they make more money than I do so they get to set the rules.)

What are they doing now? Kefir!

NEW! A world's first, coconut milk kefir is now So Delicious!
We have taken an old world classic and combined it with the delightful richness of coconut milk to create a new age beverage designed to enhance your overall sense of well being.

Coconut milk is naturally rich in medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). Two of the primary MCFAs found in coconut milk, lauric and capric acid, are known for supporting the body’s immune system. MCFAs combined with ten live and active cultures make our coconut kefir a great dairy free alternative. Drink it alone or splash it over your favorite fruit or cereal. Also makes for a wonderful addition to a variety of home recipes.

And it comes in Vanilla, Strawberry, and Original flavors.

More stuff's coming from them, too, but I'll wait until you can find it on their web site.

Or you can be like all hip and modern and cool and young and follow them on Facebook and get up-to-the-minute announcements. Which spoils the secret about their new Coconut Milk Creamer, announced on GoDairyFree.org. Just pretend you haven't seen it yet.

Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium

While I'm thinking about non-dairy sources of calcium, I should take you to the source of sources, the USDA's Food Sources of Selected Nutrients page.

There's a plenitude of good information on that page and you may want to bookmark it for the future.

In the meantime, I've copied the table on non-dairy sources of calcium.



Blogger tends to reduce photos even at their largest size, so let me emphasize what appears in the fine print. Not all foods that have good amounts of calcium are good sources of calcium because other chemicals in those foods block its absorption. That's what I wrote about yesterday. Even so, that list will give you a head start on foods you should be including in your diet if you are avoiding dairy completely.

Non-Dairy Protein Drinks

Last month I talked about lactose-free whey protein drinks. The lactose in those drinks is removed by a filtration process. The underlying protein is still dairy whey, however, so I can only recommend them for those with lactose intolerance, not for others who are trying to avoid dairy.

Patricia Biesen on examiner.com does a review of Dairy-free protein shakes, including some made with hemp and pea proteins.

Her short article is labeled "part 1" and she wrote that "In my next post I will post some tips and tricks to disguise the taste [of the protein drinks]", so I'm going to assume you'll be able to see some follow-up pages by the time you click over there.

Non-Dairy Toffees

As a chocoholic myself, I love telling people about lactose-free chocolates.

My latest find is a new line of non-dairy and lactose-free toffees from Manhattan Chocolates.

What appears to be a press release was published on the New Jersey Jewish Standard.

Manhattan Chocolates, Inc., a division of Bayonne-based Kedem Food Products International, has released a new line of Toffee Crunch Mixes that are lactose-free and non-dairy. The all-natural products are free of additives and added preservatives. The product comes in two milk-like choices and three varieties of dark chocolate in stand-alone bags, boxes, and tubs. The milk-like alternatives are available in “Toffee Crunch” (cashew butter crunch) and “Toffee Crunch Mix” (containing peanuts and pretzels).

First Non-Dairy Starter for Smoothies and Desserts

Nasoya tofu introduces a soy-based non-dairy starter, according to this press release.

The first ever non-dairy "dessert starter", new Silken Creations from Nasoya is naturally flavored, dairy free, low in fat and calories, has no cholesterol and is gluten free. It comes in the three most popular flavors for smoothies and desserts: Dark Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry.

Chef, nutrition educator, and cookbook author Maribeth Abrams enjoys the versatility of "Silken Creations". She says, "Silken Creations adds a rich chocolate flavor to Chocolate Mousse and cake recipes. The smooth and creamy consistency of the Vanilla really gives a boost to Key Lime Pie, puddings, frosting, and fillings. The strawberry makes every fruit smoothie taste delectable." ...

Made from whole soybeans and sweetened with cane juice, Silken Creations is low in calories (only 110-120 per half cup serving), low in fat (only 1-1.5 grams) and is a good source of protein (3 grams).

Designed for placement in the fresh produce aisle, Silken Creations has a suggested retail price of $2.49-$2.89 per package. For ordering and further information, contact Nasoya Sales at (978) 772 6880.

About All Natural Nasoya:
The first brand of authentic tofu brought to North America, Nasoya has been one of the top-selling tofus for 30 years. It is produced by Vitasoy USA Inc., the soyfoods pioneer which is committed to producing delicious, innovative foods that promote our health and well being. Look for the company's premium tofu, soymilk, Asian noodles and wrappers, and non-dairy salad dressings and sandwich spreads under the brand names Vitasoy® and Nasoya®. For more information and quick and easy recipes, visit www.vitasoy-usa.com and www.nasoya.com.

Nog It In A Non-Dairy Way

Oh, no! How could I have put off my annual holiday article on non-dairy egg nog? Oh, well, sometimes even Homer nogs.


As usual, Vitasoy has rolled out its Holly Nog for the season. Lactose-free, gluten-free and dairy-free, Holly Nog is soy-based and vegan.


Silk also puts out a seasonal Silk Nog which is similarly dairy and egg free, with soymilk, sugar and flavorings the only ingredients.

The VeggieBoards discuss the merits of Silk and Vitasoy and also offer some recipes for making your own vegan nogs.

For a more traditional nog aimed at those who are only lactose intolerant, Brenda at SneakyKitchen.com provides a recipe using eggs and Lactaid milk. Of course, any lactose-free milk will do.

(Lactaid itself introduced a seasonal Lactaid Egg Nog in 2005, but I can't find any evidence that it is being produced this year. Let me know if you see it in stores.)

Last, and very odd, is Rebecca's modification of a Cooking Light recipe to make a non-dairy, lactose-free Eggnog Cream Cheese Pie. Looks too advanced for me, but cooks out there should try it and dazzle their friends.

High Holiday Desserts for Vegans, The Lactose-Intolerant, Kosher-Keepers and Other Weirdos

For once, that's not my heading, though it sure sounds like something I'd write.

It's the headline for an article by Linda Morel at InterfaithFamily.com.

It continues yesterday's kosher theme and offers tips on nondairy baking, with some especially good advice on how to best substitute nondairy margarine for butter and still get tasty desserts, although margarine is not a necessity.

The kosher baker's best option when meat was served was to replace butter with margarine, which traditionally yielded flat flavor and texture ranging from dry to gooey--sometimes in the same cake. But home bakers now can produce luscious desserts equal if not better in taste than their buttery counterparts without margarine.

The article interviews Isa Chandra Moskowitz,the co-author of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World: 75 Recipes for Cupcakes That Rule. I've written about her a couple of times before, in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and Post Punk Vegans.

During two decades of trial and error, Moskowitz aced the chemistry of dairy-free baking. She learned that in most pastry recipes, when substituting oil for butter, less oil is needed than the butter measurement.

"There are structural differences between oil and butter," Moskowitz says. "Oil doesn't flake as nicely in pastries."

To encourage flakiness, she keeps oil in the freezer for several hours before making dough. To achieve thick, fluffy frostings, Moskowitz sometimes relies on margarine, but only the non-hydrogenated variety, which doesn't impart a chemical taste. She opts for the Earthbalance brand because it is free of trans-fats and dairy.

Morel also talked to Ann Amernick, the co-owner and executive pastry chef at the Palena Restaurant in Washington, D.C.

"Don't mix margarine into pastry dough of any kind," Amernick says. "However, neutral vegetable oils have their place in professional baking. They perform well in cakes with heavy texture."

Typical of this genre are honey, apple and carrot cakes, which are popular at Rosh Hashanah because they symbolize a sweet new year.

...

While oil marries well with sugar in dough, enhancing heavier pastries, Amernick has learned the two are not a winning combination in frostings. She recommends adorning pareve cakes with glazes, a mixture of confectioner's sugar and freshly squeezed juice, either lemon or orange. But don't expect glazes to be creamy and rich like frostings.

A supple liquid, they gracefully run down the sides of cakes, creating the quaint homey look seen in food magazine pastries.

The article reprints a number of recipes from Moskowitz's book, including:

● Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake
● Chocolate Mousse Topping
● Toasted Coconut Cupcakes
● Coconut Pecan Fudge Frosting
● Honey Cake
● Carrot Cake with Lemon Glaze

Answers to Questions from Readers, part 1

I started my Steve Carper's Lactose Intolerance Clearinghouse in 1997. Almost immediately people began writing to me with questions about lactose and lactose intolerance and dairy allergy and milk. I put up the answers to some of the more interesting questions on my web site.

With my 10th anniversary rapidly approaching, I'm taking a look back at my site and its history. I find that most of the questions I was asked 10 years ago are still being asked today.

So I'm gradually going to copy some of those questions over here, updating those few whose answers have changed over the decade. If they spark new questions or comments from you, all the better.

Q. I am so lactose intolerant my pharmacist had to buy a machine so he could make capsules for me without lactose. He informed me that there were other things that could be used in medication instead of lactose, but lactose was the cheapest. Until now I have felt safe with capsules, but my newest medication, a capsule also brand new on the market, has lactose. I called the company, Wythe, and screamed. They made note and according to them they will listen. One voice in the wilderness will achieve nothing. With your following can't we start a movement to have lactose removed from medication PLEASE!!!!

You are not alone and you are doing exactly the right thing. Companies do listen to the people who use their products.
Unfortunately, the number of people as sensitive to tiny amounts of lactose as you are is quite small. That means that manufacturers have little incentive to reformulate their products.

So the more of you who take the time to write to manufacturers and scream, the better. You can get the address from your pharmacist. Or go to a library and find the Physician's Desk Reference, which has the names of all major manufacturers and the ingredients of all major prescription drugs.

Q. I sometimes get LI symptoms 6 to 8 hours after eating a meal, and sometimes even the next day. Is this possible?

Sure is. You get LI problems in two ways: from the water pulled into the intestines by the excess lactose and from the gases produced by the bacteria in your colon that eat the undigested lactose.

Each person and each meal creates different intestinal transit times, as they are called. Food can take ten hours to reach the colon, and then more time for the bacteria to work and to finish up the lactose. You might need two or three days to completely rid your system of the lactose.

Q. I always wanted to know the role of glucose & galactose (digested lactose) in the body and how important they are. Does the absence of these sugars affect the body in any way? Is it completely OK to be without them?

Glucose is only the single most important substance in the body, because it is the basic energy source for all the internal chemistry of the body. Not to worry, though. All carbohydrates (including galactose) eventually get converted to glucose so that the body has a constant supply. As long as you eat a basic healthy diet, you'll always have plenty of glucose.

Q. Have you ever heard of a baby reacting to the lactose in human milk? And does the effect of eating lactose-containing food pass through breast milk the way eating broccoli or cabbage does?

Babies are designed to be able to drink milk for their first couple of years of life. Even mothers in societies in which virtually every adult is lactose intolerant naturally breastfeed infants without any problems.

A very, very tiny minority of babies are born without the ability to drink milk, but I would doubt if this happens once in a hundred million births. By all means try breastfeeding your next child. In the unlikely event that your child has a problem, you will know about it almost immediately and you can make the switch to a non-milk formula without any further harm.

As for lactose passing through milk, you're thinking of allergic reactions, which are very different from lactose intolerance.

Lactose doesn't work that way, and even if it did, breast milk naturally will contain hundreds of times as much lactose as could possibly leak through from foods that you eat.

Don't give it a second thought. Have as much milk as you desire and can safely tolerate.

Q. Are non-dairy creamers really non-dairy?

Yes, non-dairy creamers are lactose-free. Most of them do contain casein in some form, however. Casein is derived from milk protein, which is why some people don't consider them truly non-dairy. People with just LI and not milk allergy should not be affected by any minuscule residue of lactose that may remain after some manufacturing processes.

Organic Hempmilk. And It's Canadian!

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods and Oils has introduced Hemp Bliss, what they're calling "the world's first certified organic hempmilk."



An article by Jean LaMantia, a registered dietitian at the Adelaide Health Clinic, in the Toronto Star adds some details.

Ingredients: Filtered water, organic hemp seeds, organic evaporated cane juice, xanthan gum; vanilla flavour has organic vanilla, and chocolate flavour has organic fair trade cocoa powder and organic chocolate flavour.

Nutritional breakdown: 110 calories per 250 ml (1 cup); 7 g carbohydrate (1 g fibre, 6g sugar); 5 g protein; 7 g fat (0.7 g saturated, 0 g trans, 1.2 g omega-3, 4g omega-6); vanilla and chocolate flavours have a higher carbohydrate level at 14 g (13 g sugar) and 16 g (15 g sugar), respectively.

...

According to Luther Chell, business development manager for Manitoba Harvest, the fact that the hemp beverage is non-fortified is a big selling point for its consumers. In addition, Hemp Bliss has the highest level of omega-3 fat compared with milk and non-dairy beverages.

The price is C$4.99 for a 32 oz. container. You can check on the Manitoba Harvest web site for a list of the stores that sell their products in the U.S., though.

Non-Dairy Calcium Sources

I've covered this before, but it's always an important topic, especially for vegans and those with severe dairy allergies.

From Lisa Ryckman's health column in the Rocky Mountain News.

"To be sure you are getting enough, aim for three servings of high-calcium foods each day," [Beth Jauquet, a registered dietitian with Cherry Creek Nutrition] says. "Non-dairy sources include calcium-fortified orange juice, dried figs, tofu, fortified soy milk, canned sardines and salmon with bones, enriched cereals and green vegetables like broccoli, collards and kale."

To be sure she's getting enough of dairy's other key nutrients - vitamin D, vitamin A and potassium - give her green- and orange-colored fruits and vegetables daily, Jauquet says.

"Add at least three ounces of whole grains daily, incorporate fish like salmon and tuna on a regular basis and add beans to her diet at least three times each week," she says.