Suddenly, you can have coffee after meat: Strauss’s CowFree opens new menus

The Israeli kitchen loves innovation that has immediate use. That’s where CowFree comes in — a new series that aims to bring back the milk experience in texture, taste, and functionality, without animal ingredients and without lactose.

For those who separate meat and dairy, are lactose-intolerant, or are reducing their intake of animal-based foods, the meaning is clear — a cappuccino at the end of a meat meal, a “dairy” dessert in restaurants and hotels, and familiar uses at home. Three voices complete the picture: Management and business, nutrition and health, and product engineering. Together, they paint the story of a new category that aims to change habits — at home and outside.

Barak Weinstein, Head of Strauss Now operations, sets a clear goal: “Our success metrics are reaching broad awareness of the category and the brand, understanding that this is a third category alongside milk and milk substitutes, and achieving broad consumer trial.”

He defines the differentiation in five points: “The unique value lies in the combination of taste and texture, high-quality protein identical to one of the milk proteins and in a similar amount to that found in lactose-free milk, excellent frothing, pareve, and vegan. There’s no other product that can offer this combination.”

On the road ahead, he adds: “We can’t refer to specific products, but we can say that we’re in various stages of developing several products — both in the dairies and in the confectionery division. In addition, the technology enables us to develop unique products that cannot be developed from cow’s milk.”

Shani Arad, Chief Dietitian at the Strauss Group, aligns on nutritional values: “CowFree contains protein identical in composition to one of the proteins found in cow’s milk, and the amount of protein in the drink is identical to that in cow’s milk. BLG protein contains all the essential amino acids.” According to her, CowFree is lactose-free, fortified with calcium, and the drink is also enriched with vitamin D.

“Thanks to the technology, we were able to develop a drink that contains 38% less sugar than cow’s milk and no lactose, so that even those sensitive to lactose can consume it.” In comparison to the plant-based beverage world, Arad explains: “There’s a wide variety of plant-based drinks with great variability in their nutritional values.

If we compare it to soy drink, both contain a similar amount of protein — high-quality proteins, but different ones. Both contain all essential amino acids, including branched-chain amino acids (BCAA).

The amount of protein in CowFree drink is similar to that in cow’s milk and soy drink. Regarding allergens, there are differences between the allergens in PB (legume and nut) products and CowFree (milk proteins). And for those sensitive to gluten — CowFree is gluten-free.”

She sharpens the critical distinction between lactose and allergy: “Lactose is the sugar in milk, and there is a population sensitivity to lactose that manifests as a reduced ability to break down lactose and may cause digestive side effects, but the sensitivity is not life-threatening, unlike milk-protein allergy, which is life-threatening. CowFree products contain the same protein composition as one of the milk proteins.

CowFree products can be incorporated into a balanced and varied diet, and they also contain protein and calcium. CowFree drink contains the same amount of protein and calcium as regular cow’s milk.”

Assaf Steinberg, technologist at Strauss, describes the starting point: “The unique composition of milk (mostly cow’s milk) is the starting point for developing a variety of dairy products we all grew up with — from yogurt to cottage cheese, from whipped cream to hard cheeses. Milk is composed of water, fat, proteins, milk sugar (lactose), and minerals.

Over many years, equipment and production processes have been developed and designed to match the composition and properties of milk. The challenge in developing CowFree products is to build milk and its products — without milk.”

The scientific basis is summarized: “The starting point for development is BLG protein that is non-animal (identical to one of the proteins found in cow’s milk). Here we, the product development engineers together with the culinary experts, come into action: In addition to the BLG protein, we carefully selected raw materials (non-animal) from which we create a product as similar as possible in nutritional values, taste, and texture to the equivalent dairy product.

Moreover, the equipment and production processes used for dairy products fully support the production of CowFree products, so there’s no need for a new factory. Ensuring product stability and uniformity is very important to us, and it’s no different from what’s required for cow’s milk products.”

Here come the two actual product lines. Yotvata CowFree drink is intended for drinking and frothing in coffee, for cooking, and for use in snacks. Symphonia CowFree spread is a cheese-style spread, for dessert fillings and baking.

Steinberg sums up the practicality: “CowFree products were developed to provide a taste and texture experience as similar as possible to the equivalent dairy product. Yotvata CowFree froths excellently in coffee. Symphonia CowFree has a rich and creamy texture. The products are also suitable for baking. At our recent launch event, guests couldn’t tell that the cappuccino, bagel, and cake were not made from regular milk or cheese.”

On the safety and kashrut side, he emphasizes: “Lactose is the sugar in milk. The only natural source of lactose in nature is the milk of mammals. The source of CowFree products is non-animal, so they are lactose-free. Our production lines are thoroughly cleaned before CowFree production, so there’s no concern they contain lactose.

Thanks to this cleanliness, CowFree products are pareve kosher. Regarding those allergic to milk proteins: It’s important to emphasize that CowFree products are not intended for people allergic to milk proteins. The protein in the CowFree series is completely identical to one of the cow’s milk proteins (although not from a cow), so anyone allergic to cow’s milk proteins must not consume CowFree products.”

Chef Tomer Tal says that the texture of Symphonia CowFree “opens up a whole world of combinations”: It’s creamy, smooth, and adaptable to a wide variety of flavors, while at the same time “knows how to hold itself” — the texture remains stable even when the cheese is combined in dishes.

In a classic test case — preparing labneh — he created the sourness from lemon and noted, “I was surprised that the lemon didn’t cause the cheese to break.” In his view, this is real news for anyone who wants to cook without dairy products: “Finally, you can enjoy familiar tastes and textures without giving up the cooking or baking experience.”

Professionally, Chef Tal emphasizes that he tested the product as something completely new — taste, smell, and texture — and the big surprise was discovering “that the cheese remains stable under heat and frothing, just like regular dairy products.” It “opened doors for creativity in the kitchen without fear that a dish would fail.”

Regarding adjustments in existing recipes, he describes ingredients “that behave in a way that allows for extensive cooking and flavor variety”: Minor adjustments are needed according to each chef’s culinary style, “but in most cases, it’s a smooth transition without compromising on personal flavor signature.”

And what about the diners? According to him, diners repeatedly commented on the flavors and were excited to discover that these were dairy-free dishes. “None of the dozens of people who ate the breakfast I prepared realized that the entire menu was dairy-free and entirely based on CowFree.”

In the development arena, the approach is cautious yet optimistic. Weinstein says: “We can’t refer to specific products, but we can say that we’re in various stages of developing several products — both in the dairies and in the confectionery division. The technology enables us to develop unique products that cannot be developed from cow’s milk.”

The meaning is a gradual expansion of uses at home, in coffee shops, and in professional kitchens — at a pace dictated by culinary need and technological maturity.