Violife is a brand produced by Arivia S.A. from Greece, which in turn is part of Flora Food Group (known until September 2024 as Upfield) from the Netherlands, self-described as “the largest plant-based consumer product company in the world“.1 Flora Food Group is owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) from the United States, one of the largest private equity firms in the world.2
As appears to be the case with all Violife products, the main ingredients are coconut oil, modified starch and starch. While unspecified what the starch is derived from on the packaging, it is likely potato starch, as the Violife website FAQ mention: “All Violife products contain potato starch (either native or modified).” 3, 4
We reviewed Epic at the same time as we reviewed Cheddarton, also by Violife. The looks are very similar and apparently both are mature cheddar flavoured cheeses. On the front of the packaging, Epic highlights it has a ‘mature cheddar flavour’, whereas Cheddarton has a ‘mature taste’. In the ingredients Epic has ‘mature cheddar flavour’ and Cheddarton ‘cheddar flavour’. So, what is the difference and do we have a preference?
Firstly, for both cheeses there does not appear to have been an actual maturing process in the sense of an extended ripening period during which the flavour and texture of the cheese develop. From its texture it is seems most likely to us it is immediately packed airtight into its plastic wrapper after production and the taste is fully derived from the added flavours. When comparing to dairy cheese, its consistency is most similar for us to what is called in the Netherlands ‘foil cheese’.
Looking at the ingredients, the main change is that there is less coconut oil in Epic (24%) than in Cheddarton (30%). Therefore, the saturated fat contents in Epic are also lower. The second group of ingredients, (modified) starch, is not quantified on the packaging, however the carbohydrates amount in Epic implies the starch content increased to fill the gap by having less coconut oil. Other nutritional values are quite similar, while there are some differences in additives being used.
When tasting, we did not recognise a cheddar taste. It makes us wonder as well what is actually added as “mature cheddar flavour”? At the same time, we preferred the taste of Epic compared to Cheddarton as it is relatively more sweet and nutty and less salty. If you like a sweet and nutty taste in cheddar, this may actually be imparted by annatto, the colouring added frequently to cheddar to give it the orange colour. So, the question would be if that sweet nuttiness should be classified as mature cheddar taste. We did not find a sharpness or bitterness as associated with aged cheddar.5
Conclusion
While we would not add Epic to our cheese platter, we did prefer its more sweet and nutty flavour, compared to the saltiness of Cheddarton. Neither tasted in our view much like mature cheddar. Apart from the taste, these cheeses are quite similar and both grate and melt well.
