Affordable Walmart vegan cheese is now a thing.
The American supermarket chain launched its own vegan cheese earlier this year. Great Value Plant Based “shred blends” are now available in Mozzarella, Cheddar, and a combined Mozzarella and Cheddar style.
Each product is certified vegan, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and trans fat-free. Walmart’s vegan cheese is made primarily using potato starch and a small quantity of coconut oil — both common ingredients in plant-based cheese but included at a ratio for reduced fat content.
According to Walmart the vegan cheese is also a good source of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D. There are approximately eight servings per-pack, and each serving contains 80 calories.
Demand for vegan cheese is on the rise, as shown by the increasing number of large companies (like Walmart) adding plant-based options.
In 2020, Transparency Market Research published a study predicting that the global vegan cheese market could reach $2.5 billion before the beginning of 2021. While some experts predict that it will reach $7 billion by the year 2030.
Vegan food and affordability
The Great Value range aims to provide people with more affordable options, in general, something that the plant-based food sector has prioritized in recent years.
In 2020, Kroger launched its own range of vegan cheese slices and shreds, while budget supermarket Lidl launched its own selection in the UK. Tesco has also rapidly expanded its affordable plant-based food range, including a wide variety of vegan cheese and dairy products.
The increasing affordability of vegan food is not limited to private labels or dairy products. Walmart itself recently launched value packs of Beyond Meat products such as Italian sausages and burger patties at a significantly reduced price.
As overall consumer demand for vegan food continues to grow, plant-based producers will retain a larger share of the overall market, and prices will continue to fall. Back in 2019, Good Food Institute (GFI) senior scientist Liz Specht, Ph.D., predicted that price parity for vegan meat is coming soon.
“It’s all but inevitable that the plant-based meat industry will eventually be cost-competitive with conventional meat,” Specht explained in a post on GFI’s website.
Great Value vegan cheese products are sold exclusively in Walmart stores, and each 8-ounce package costs $3.97. For more vegan Walmart products, check out LIVEKINDLY’s guide here.
