LINCOLNSHIRE, ILL. – Saputo Dairy USA announced its upcoming launch of a new brand of vegan-certified cheeses, called Vitalite.

The dairy-free, plant-based cheese line from Saputo will debut at retail stores later this year with slices and shreds that come in mozzarella and cheddar styles, as well as a grated parmesan style product and a creamy original spread.

The Vitalite products also are gluten-free, kosher-certified and made without genetically modified ingredients. All but the spread are soy-free.

"As demand for vegan cheese continues to grow, many consumers have been vocal about how difficult it has been to find a plant-based cheese that lives up to their expectations," said David Cherrie, Saputo Dairy USA vice president, marketing and innovation. "As a dairy company, we are experts at making cheese people love and crave. Where other plant-based cheeses fall short, we saw an opportunity to use our expertise in the cheese category to create a delicious plant-based alternative."

Saputo recommended using the new vegan cheese products in pizzas, pastas, tacos, salads, dips, sandwiches and other applications.

"People following a plant-based or flexitarian diet have limited options in the grocery store and many of those options lack appeal," said Nikki Trzeciak, Saputo executive chef and senior manager of culinary and sensory. "The idea for Vitalite came out of trying to solve that. We want home cooks to feel liberated in the kitchen and inspired to create traditional foods they have an emotional connection to without compromise."

In announcing the upcoming launch for its vegan cheeses, Saputo cited a 2022 Food Institute report that projected the global vegan cheese market will have a value of $7 billion by 2030.

Saputo Dairy USA is known for its production of leading mozzarella, string cheese and domestic blue and goat cheese products. It is part of Saputo Inc., one of the top dairy processors in the world.