Soft Spot Vegan Smoked Cheese — ENGINEERED

Munch or Dump rates Soft Spot Vegan Smoked Cheese by Soft spot ENGINEERED — score 30/90.

A lab-built dairy-cheese analog: water and refined starches thickened with coconut oil, held together by carrageenan, then flavored and dyed to taste like smoked Gouda. The cashews you'd hope for sit fourth, behind the starch.

Why this verdict

• Refined potato and corn starch plus coconut oil form the body, not real cheese
• Carrageenan stabilizer holds the texture together
• Flavor built from added 'vegan flavours', nutritional yeast and lactic acid
• Cashews are 4th on the list, behind the starch
• NOVA 4 reconstructed product engineered for mouthfeel

Ingredients (11)

• Water (safe) — Used as a basic ingredient in bread.
• potato starch (safe) — Anti-caking agent to keep shreds separate.
• Coconut Oil (safe) — Plant fat used for the shell coating.
• Cashews (safe) — Whole nut with minerals and healthy fats.
• Corn Starch (moderate) — Refined starch for texture; part of the hyper-palatable structure.
• Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
• Vegan flavours (moderate) — Undisclosed flavoring blend doing the heavy lifting to mimic cheese taste.
• Carrageenan (moderate) — Seaweed-derived stabilizer; some people report digestive sensitivity.
• Nutritional Yeast (safe) — Savory flavor plus B vitamins, dairy-free.
• Lactic Acid (safe) — A mild acid for flavor and preservation; safe.
• annatto (safe) — Natural plant-based coloring, the least concerning additive here.