Cargill Non-dairy "Cheese"

(click image to enlarge)

A number of people have called or emailed regarding Cargill’s “non-dairy cheese” so, above is their press release.

A quick look at U.S. patent applications entering the words “Cargill” and “cheese” yields quite a haul.

For example:

United States Patent Application 20060198938
Kind Code A1
Chen; Wen-Sherng ; et al. September 7, 2006

Processed cheese made with soy
Abstract
A method for preparing processed cheese containing significant levels of soy protein which possesses melt, firmness, and flavor characteristics similar to regular processed cheese is provided. The method provides a mixture including a dry particulate soy protein ingredient containing soy protein having a molecular weight of about 4,000 to about 40,000 Daltons in combination with dairy fat and dairy protein without pre-emulsification of the soy material, and the mixture is cooked and a soy cheese product thereof is then packaged. This method provides a processed cheese product having the requisite textural and flavor properties, while avoiding competitive adsorption problems between dairy and soy protein ingredients and opportunities for microbial growth which can occur with aqueous emulsified soy compositions.

This is hardly surprising. Additionally, there is no way to compete effectively on the price of used oats. However, I suspect the best defense is a defense of the integrity of dairy products. Cheap analogs (imitations) containing MPCs and caseins have no place in the dairy case.