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A mould-ripened vegan Camembert has claimed the highest honour at the 2026 New Zealand Vegan Cheese Awards, reinforcing a broader story emerging across the country's food innovation sector: New Zealand's plant-based cheese industry is no longer experimenting—it is maturing.

Fermentation is finally giving vegan cheese its groove. Forget coconut oil blocks and starchy slices: UK and Canadian researchers have shown that mixing pea protein with sunflower and coconut oil can deliver real melt, stretch and firmness, the holy grail of vegan cheese texture. At the same time, European startups are running with microbial cultures to close the “taste gap”.