Understanding the sensory and health properties of cheese and plant-based alternatives to cheese

Project Overview

This project will compare the sensory attributes of cheese and plant-based alternatives to cheese, assess their satiating properties, and investigate their impact on short-term blood glucose control, food intake, and thermogenesis when consumed as part of popular foods like pizza. The results will benefit the Canadian dairy sector by better understanding the food sensory and health properties of cheese and plant-based alternatives to cheese.

What Will the Research Team Do?

The research team will investigate the sensory and metabolic health properties of cheese and plant-based alternatives to cheese, including, Canadian cheddar cheese and non-dairy cheddar-style blocks with a similar visual appearance, and shredded Mozzarella and Mozzarella-style plant-based shreds.

The objectives of this project are to:

• Evaluate the perception of cheese and plant-based alternative products in children and adults.
• Determine how prior experiences and frequency of dairy consumption predetermine the acceptability of dairy products and dairy-free alternatives.
• Investigate the effect of a pizza meal formulated with cheese or a plant-based alternative to cheese on postprandial blood glucose and insulin, subjective appetite, physical comfort, and sensory acceptability.