Pune-based health foods company Axia Foods has launched what it calls the world’s first high-protein almond cheese bars under the brand name ProChez. The company has several firsts to its credit, including a plant-based probiotic protein yoghurt, and vegan smoothies under brand names GrenYogert and Grenmylk respectively. It is also going to launch almond butter and almond cheese soon.
Established in August 2019, Axia Foods undertook several months of research and development to create bars made with cultured and aged almond cheese. The company’s research was focused on developing a unique plant based nutritious and flavoursome product by combining cultured and aged almond cheese, with a soft cheesecake texture, infused with fruits and covered with dark chocolate glaze. ProChez has been positioned as a healthy meal-on-the-go with 18g of almond protein. It is dairy and soy-free, and comes with the goodness of prebiotics that helps in maintaining gut health. The product is gluten-free and all natural.
Fermented almond cheese is made using almonds and probiotic bacteria, and is aged like milk cheeses, maturing at a certain temperature and storage conditions for several weeks. The culturing gives the almond curd a distinct cheesy aroma, flavour, texture and consistency.
Jasmine Shaikh, founder and CEO of Axia Foods, said in information shared with The Vegan Indians, “ProChez is the perfect food for healthy snacking when you’re not at home, with 18 grams of almond protein and prebiotics to help support your gut health. There are protein bars containing almond as a small ingredient, and almond milk, but there is no almond cheese or yoghurt. It is difficult to make yoghurt or cheese from almond because it has a briny texture, and it requires a long fermentation period.”
ProChez bars are available in two flavours – strawberry and coffee.
