Machines and industrial equipment for the production of vegan cream

Research project with the Technical University of Berlin and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Against the backdrop of growing consumer health awareness and a fundamental shift towards increased consumption of plant-based foods, the food industry is showing great interest in the development of products in which animal fats and proteins are replaced by plant-based alternatives, with a particular focus on vegan milk and cream alternatives.

In cooperation with two leading German universities, Probst & Class is researching the importance of the protein and lipid phase in the development of vegan cream.

Download further information on the research project (in German).

Raw materials for the production of vegan cream

Plant-based cream alternatives consist mainly of plant milk to which other plant-based fats and oils and other ingredients are added.

• Soy milk, the most commonly used base for plant-based cream, has a relatively neutral flavour and is almost white in colour. 
• Almond milk has a pleasant nutty flavour.
• Oat milk has a natural inherent sweetness, comparable to cow's milk.
• Coconut milk is particularly creamy and has a natural white colour.
• Cashew milk is also creamy and has a pleasantly mild flavour. 

The plant-based milk alternatives listed can be produced from the natural raw materials (soya beans, almonds, oat seeds, coconut and cashew nuts) using PUC machines or simply added as ready-made preliminary products.

Various vegetable fats and oils are added to achieve a similar consistency to milk-based cream and to increase the fat content.

Coconut oil increases the creamy consistency and also has a pleasant flavour of its own.
Sunflower oil has a neutral flavour and is easy to emulsify.
Rapeseed oil has a stronger flavour but also a high proportion of healthy, unsaturated fatty acids. 
Various vegetable thickeners are sometimes used to create a thicker end product.

• Cornflour
• Tapioca starch
• Guar gum
• Locust bean gum

Process steps in the production of vegan cream with our colloid mills 

Our machines are used in the following processes in the production of plant-based cream alternatives:

Crushing and grinding: Nuts and seeds are crushed and finely ground in the colloid mill, resulting in a creamy homogeneous mass.

Emulsifying: In the colloid mill, the fatty components are emulsified with the aqueous components to achieve a stable and uniform mixture. This prevents the oil and water phases from settling and separating later on.

Mixing in thickening agents: The plant-based thickening agents listed are incorporated into the mixture using our colloid mills to achieve the desired viscosity. The colloid mill ensures that these additives are evenly distributed.

Homogenising: Using our colloid mills, the mixture is homogenised throughout. The resulting end product is very similar to conventional cream in texture, creaminess and flavour and can completely replace cream made from animal milk for most cooking applications.

Machine types used

Colloid mills from Probst & Class can basically be used to process all ingredients that have a minimal moisture content. As plant-based cream alternatives always have a high water content, colloid mills are generally well suited for this.

The infinitely adjustable grinding set and easy-to-clean grinding mechanism ensure flexible use at all times. A wide range of gearing geometries also makes it possible to cater for ingredient-specific conditions and thus achieve the best possible results.

Our perforated disc mills also offer the option of precomminution of coarser products and, in combination with our colloid mills, greater degrees of fineness. We can achieve end product fineness of less than 10 micrometres.

We also offer in-line deaeration systems for the extraction of air or other gases. This procedure is particularly appropriate before packaging in order to achieve a clean environment and preserve the properties of the plant milk. 

Production process

Processing and production can be carried out with Probst & Class mills and systems in a batch process or continuous inline process, depending on the requirements. We are happy to advise you as to the advantages and disadvantages of the processes as well as system integration. Please send us an enquiry for our puclab service.  

Probst & Class as a supplier to the food industry

Probst & Class mills have been used in state-of-the-art food processing for 80 years. With a PUC, both small and large companies produce vegan cream and milk alternatives of top quality consistently.

The high production quality of PUC machines usually guarantees a service life of several decades. The supply of spare and wear parts, even for very early models, guarantees a secure investment and low total cost of ownership.