Vegan ‘cheeses’ present the same microbiological risks as fresh and semi-mature cheeses made from raw milk, their consumption is therefore not recommended to children, pregnant women and the elderly. These are the conclusions reached by the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), following specific studies. (1)
1) Vegan ‘cheeses’, microbiological risks
BLV (Bundesamtes für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit) has analyzed 375 samples of veg ‘cheeses’ for the presence of pathogens, as part of the federal food safety monitoring plan 2023.
1.1) E. coli, Enterobacter, Bacillus cereus
The analysis have highlighted the presence of various pathogenic bacteria, with health risks especially for children, pregnant women and the elderly:
– Escherichia coli in 11 of the 363 samples, equal to 3% of the products analyzed. This pathogen can cause urinary tract and gastrointestinal infections, with possible complications (i.e. septicemia, hemolytic uremic syndrome) in case of infections by its serotypes STEC and VTEC; (2)
– Enterobacter in 17 veg cheeses (5,5% of the total). The risks in this case include a wide range of infections (respiratory, urinary and blood) as well as otitis media, cellulitis and neonatal sepsis;
– Bacillus cereus in 8 products (2,2%). These bacteria can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
1.2) Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella
Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella– which can cause diarrhea and fever and, in the most serious cases, cause systemic crises with even lethal effects – were not detected in the analyses conducted in Germany in 2023. The risk of such contamination in veg ‘cheeses’ should therefore not be underestimated.
‘In 2022, in France, an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes due to the consumption of vegan cheese alternatives caused premature births in four women. Three other cases of Listeria infections, two of which were pregnancy-related, have been attributed to the same cause in neighboring countries’, the BLV report says.
2) Causes of contamination
The contaminations from pathogenic bacteria of veg ‘cheeses’ derive from:
– possible contamination of plant raw materials (e.g. almonds, cashews, walnuts or nut mixes). In particular when they (e.g. cashews) are subject to manual harvesting and drying on the ground, in the open air, with exposure to insects, birds and rodents;
– absence of heat treatments (pasteurization), which are instead able to inactivate heat-sensitive pathogens (except in the case of contamination in subsequent product handling phases).
3) The production processes
Vegan cheeses are also produced by fermentation, like conventional cheeses (eg Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Camembert, Brie). ‘This process presents some critical issues from a hygienic point of view, if phases for reducing the bacterial load, such as pasteurization, are not included’, explain the BLV experts.
‘The critical production phase is the soaking of the raw material. Soaking in water and the, sometimes, long maturing times allow potentially pathogenic bacteria (e.g. listeria, salmonella) to multiply. Vegan cashew cheese alternatives have caused several outbreaks caused by rare serovars of Salmonella (S.) enterica ssp. enterica such as S. Weltevreden, S. Duisburg, S. Urbana and S. Stanley‘.
4) Provisional conclusions
Unpasteurized veg ‘cheeses’, in conclusion, can be considered as a substitute for raw milk cheese. Veg or not, a very dangerous food for vulnerable people such as children, pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised.
Marta Strinati
Footnotes
(1) BVL-Report · 19.1 Berichte zur Lebensmittelsicherheit 2023 https://tinyurl.com/y7d6dykt
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
