The 'Funky' Aldi Vegan Cheese Reddit Isn't Too Sure About

Naturally, as more people turn to veganism, more people will consume vegan cheese. In 2021, the vegan cheese market had a valuation of $2.43 billion globally, and it's predicted to continue growing by 12.6% annually until 2030, per Grandview Research. Along with vegans, those who have allergies or are lactose intolerant are also making the switch. The numbers are pretty high, too — the Food Intolerance Network points out that 70% of the world is lactose intolerant.

Just like traditional cheese, there are many types of vegan cheese, such as cheddar, parmesan, gouda, cream cheese, and mozzarella, per The Cheese Maker. These dairy-free alternatives are commonly made of almonds, cashews, soybeans, peas, and coconut. According to Viable Earth, North America is the worldwide leader in vegan cheese production, followed by Europe (where veganism has increased sevenfold), the Middle East, and Africa. The popularity of vegan cheese is undisputed, but when a Reddit user picked some up from Aldi, they had a few questions.

A Reddit user felt there was something strange about the vegan blue cheese they bought from Aldi. In a post, they wrote, "Vegan blue cheese. Is it supposed to be different colors?" They included an image of a blue cheese container with white and grey pieces. Interestingly, the concern in the comments section didn't particularly lie in the color of the cheese. Though one person wrote, "Yeah, they attempted to make it look more like dairy blue cheese," the rest of the comments were bashing the product itself.

"Wow... and I didn't think there was anything more disgusting than regular blue cheese," one commenter wrote. Another read, "I wouldn't eat it. Mainly because it's vegan blue cheese." One Reddit user was nice enough not to bash vegan food, but rather recommended a brand they thought was better. "Follow Your Heart makes excellent vegan bleu cheese and spoiled me," they wrote.

The brand in question, called Earth Grown, is Aldi's in-house plant-based brand, per One Green Planet. Some other products include chickenless tenders, meatless meatballs, and Asian veggie burgers.