Daiya has unveiled a new line of powdered mac and cheese products in the US and Canada, as well as a new dairy-free cheese shreds product for foodservice.

The dry, powdered mac and cheese products are made with dairy-free cheese and gluten-free pasta. The alt-dairy specialist, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, is rolling out this latest innovation in three available flavours: cheddar, white cheddar and aged cheddar.

Its aged cheddar variety, launching in the US only, is believed to be the first aged cheddar dry powdered mac and cheese product on the market. The dry mix product line aims to provide consumers with more convenient options alongside Daiya’s existing liquid mac and cheese line, which features a ready-made, dairy-free liquid sauce pack.

Daiya’s chief marketing officer, John Kelly, said: “We’re always listening to customer requests for new products and innovations as we expand our consumer base – and felt a convenient, dairy-free dry powdered mac and cheese with delicious flavour was missing on shelf – so we developed one”.

He added: “Innovation and development are at the core of what we do at Daiya, and we are always looking for ways to encourage plant-based and dairy-free food exploration – even if you’re not 100% plant-based”.

The powdered mac and cheese range will be available in the US at Walmart and the Fresh Market from April. In Canada, the line is available at Loblaws and Metro ON.

Specifically for foodservice operators, Daiya has also unveiled the dairy-free cheese shreds created with its new proprietary ingredient, Daiya Oat Cream blend, which was unveiled across retail in December.

According to the brand, the shreds offer a ‘dairy-like melt that browns just like cheese’. Designed for convenience, they can be seamlessly substituted for dairy cheese in a 1:1 ratio.

Melanie Domer, chief commercial officer at Daiya, commented: “We’ve seen plant-based menu penetration grow by 262% in the last four years, and ultimately what diners expect when they order a dairy-free alternative is that cheesy, ‘melts-like-dairy’ experience”.

The shreds will be available in mozzarella and cheddar flavours from May 2024 in a 5lbs bag via major foodservice distributors.

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