{"id":1961,"date":"2024-12-07T10:37:20","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T09:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/?post_type=review&p=1961"},"modified":"2025-01-05T07:59:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-05T06:59:39","slug":"epic-by-violife","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/","title":{"rendered":"Epic by Violife"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\n
\n
\"Back\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Side\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Top\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Epic\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n\n
\n\n

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 \u201cthe largest plant-based consumer product company in the world<\/em>\u201c.<\/a>1<\/a><\/sup> 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<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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:\u00a0\u201cAll Violife products contain potato starch (either native or modified).\u201d\u00a0<\/em>3<\/a>, 4<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We reviewed Epic at the same time as we reviewed Cheddarton<\/a>, 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?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When tasting, we did not recognise a cheddar taste. It makes us wonder as well what is actually added as “mature cheddar flavour”<\/em>? At the same time, we preferred the taste of Epic compared to Cheddarton<\/a> 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<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>. Neither tasted in our view much like mature cheddar. Apart from the taste, these cheeses are quite similar and both grate and melt well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/sup> <\/a>Upfield \u2013 Our Company<\/a> – Upfield, 25 August 2024 [back to text<\/a>]<\/div>\n\n\n\n
2<\/sup> Flora Food Group<\/a> \u2013 Wikipedia, 7 December 2024 [back<\/a> to text<\/a>]<\/div>\n\n\n\n
3<\/sup> Violife FAQ: What is the cholesterol content in Violife products?<\/a>\u2013 Violife, 30 November 2024 [back to text<\/a>]<\/div>\n\n\n\n
4<\/sup> <\/a>Violife FAQ: Do Violife products contain potato or potato derivatives?<\/a> \u2013 Violife, 30 April 2024 [back to text<\/a>]<\/div>\n\n\n\n
5<\/sup> <\/a>Cheddar<\/a> cheese<\/a> \u2013 Wikipedia, 7 December 2024 [back<\/a> to text<\/a>]<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Epic is similar to Cheddarton, another mature cheddar-alternative from Violife. We found neither clearly ‘mature’ and thought Epic to be more sweet and nutty compared to the relative saltiness of Cheddarton.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1976,"template":"","additive":[],"age":[33],"country":[31],"form":[37],"main-ingredient":[44,64],"texture":[50],"cheese-type":[77],"class_list":["post-1961","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","age-ripened","country-greece","form-whole","main-ingredient-coconut","main-ingredient-potato","texture-hard","cheese-type-cheddar-style"],"acf":{"review_date":"20241124","review_id":202411241,"test_id":2,"cheese_name":"Epic","brand_name":"Violife","tag_line":"Mature cheddar flavour, Free from dairy - soy - gluten - lactose - nuts - preservatives, 100% plant based, with Vitamin B12","producer_name":"Arivia S.A. - Part of Upfield","cheese_producer_relationship":[833],"location":"Thessaloniki, Greece","product_website":"https:\/\/www.violife.com\/en-gb\/our-products\/blocks\/epic-cheddar-flavour-block","vendor_name":"Veggie4U","purchase_date":"20241120","price":5.49,"best_before_date":"20250206","lot_data":"L4103SC1412 13:19","organic":false,"organic_certification":"None","weight":200,"ingredients":"water, coconut oil (24%), modified starch, starch, sea salt, lentil protein, mature cheddar flavour, acidity regulator: lactic acid, olive extract, colour: b-carotene, vitamin B12","ingredients_repeater":[{"ingredient_name":"Water","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"","function_link":"","amount_%":""},{"ingredient_name":"Coconut oil","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"","function_link":"","amount_%":24},{"ingredient_name":"Modified starch","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"","function_link":{"title":"Modified starch","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/ingredients\/#modified_starch","target":""},"amount_%":""},{"ingredient_name":"Starch","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"","function_link":"","amount_%":""},{"ingredient_name":"Sea salt","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"","function_link":"","amount_%":""},{"ingredient_name":"Lentil protein","ingredient_link":{"title":"Lentil protein","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/ingredients\/#lentil_protein","target":""},"functional_class":"","function_link":"","amount_%":""},{"ingredient_name":"Mature cheddar flavour","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"Flavouring","function_link":{"title":"Flavouring","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/ingredients\/#flavouring","target":""},"amount_%":""},{"ingredient_name":"Lactic acid","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"Acidity regulator","function_link":{"title":"Acidity regulator","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/ingredients\/#acidity_regulator","target":""},"amount_%":""},{"ingredient_name":"Olive extract","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"","function_link":"","amount_%":""},{"ingredient_name":"Beta-carotene","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"Colouring agent","function_link":{"title":"Carotene","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/ingredients\/#carotene","target":""},"amount_%":""},{"ingredient_name":"Vitamin B12","ingredient_link":"","functional_class":"","function_link":"","amount_%":""}],"energy_kj":1256,"energy_kcal":303,"fat_g":24,"of_which_saturated_fatty_acids_g":"22","of_which_mono-unsaturated_fatty_acids_g":"","of_which_poly-unsaturated_fatty_acids_g":"","carbohydrates_g":"20","of_which_sugars_g":"0.2","fibre_g":"N\/A","protein_g":"1.3","salt_g":"2.2","rind":"None: fresh cheese like feta and mozzarella","exterior_color":"Pale off-white, creamy colour just like Cheddarton","interior_color":"Same","looks_like_the_non-vegan_version":"Yes","soft_to_hard":80,"crumbly_to_pasty":60,"dry_to_wet":50,"mould_or_yeast_culture":"None","ripening_agent":["None"],"additive_description":"N\/A","additive_ratio":0,"aroma_strength":"Mild","flavor-sweet":40,"flavor-umami":15,"flavor-bitter":15,"flavor-acid":15,"flavor-salt":15,"complex_flavor_1":"Roasted (nutty, coffee, caramel, smoky)","comment_complex_flavor_1":"nutty","complex_flavor_2":"Vegetable (onion, leek, garlic, potato, hummus)","comment_complex_flavor_2":"leek, potato, hummus","complex_flavor_3":"","comment_complex_flavor_3":"","taste_duration":"Medium (between a few to ten seconds)","meltability":"Good","taste_melted":"Fair","comments_on_meltability_-_taste":"","spreadability":"N\/A","roll_and_skewer":"N\/A","comments_on_spreadability_and_roll_-_skewer":"","pairing_1":"","pairing_2":"","pairing_3":"","review_rating":3,"recommended":false,"review_comments_and_notes":"Do not find it tastes like cheddar, do not know what what is added as cheddar flavour?\r\nNot for cheese platter.\r\nQuite similar to other Violife, tough more nutty flavour.\r\nGrates very well as expected of firm pasty block, no crumplings at all."},"yoast_head":"\nEpic by Violife - Vegan Cheese Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Epic by Violife - Vegan Cheese Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Epic is similar to Cheddarton, another mature cheddar-alternative from Violife. We found neither clearly 'mature' and thought Epic to be more sweet and nutty compared to the relative saltiness of Cheddarton.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Vegan Cheese Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-05T06:59:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/epic_violife_feat_scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/index.php\\\/review\\\/epic-by-violife\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/index.php\\\/review\\\/epic-by-violife\\\/\",\"name\":\"Epic by Violife - Vegan Cheese Review\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/index.php\\\/review\\\/epic-by-violife\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/index.php\\\/review\\\/epic-by-violife\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/epic_violife_feat_scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-07T09:37:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-05T06:59:39+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/index.php\\\/review\\\/epic-by-violife\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/index.php\\\/review\\\/epic-by-violife\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/index.php\\\/review\\\/epic-by-violife\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/epic_violife_feat_scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/epic_violife_feat_scaled.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1920,\"caption\":\"Front of packaging of Epic vegan cheese by Violife\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/index.php\\\/review\\\/epic-by-violife\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Reviews\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/index.php\\\/reviews\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Epic by Violife\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Vegan Cheese Review\",\"description\":\"Exploring the world of vegan cheese\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Vegan Cheese Review\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/cropped-Logo-with-title-scaled-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/cropped-Logo-with-title-scaled-1.png\",\"width\":7046,\"height\":1227,\"caption\":\"Vegan Cheese Review\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.vegancheesereview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Epic by Violife - Vegan Cheese Review","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Epic by Violife - Vegan Cheese Review","og_description":"Epic is similar to Cheddarton, another mature cheddar-alternative from Violife. We found neither clearly 'mature' and thought Epic to be more sweet and nutty compared to the relative saltiness of Cheddarton.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/","og_site_name":"Vegan Cheese Review","article_modified_time":"2025-01-05T06:59:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1920,"url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/epic_violife_feat_scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/","name":"Epic by Violife - Vegan Cheese Review","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/epic_violife_feat_scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-07T09:37:20+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-05T06:59:39+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/epic_violife_feat_scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/epic_violife_feat_scaled.jpg","width":1920,"height":1920,"caption":"Front of packaging of Epic vegan cheese by Violife"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/review\/epic-by-violife\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Reviews","item":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/reviews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Epic by Violife"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/","name":"Vegan Cheese Review","description":"Exploring the world of vegan cheese","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/#organization","name":"Vegan Cheese Review","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cropped-Logo-with-title-scaled-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cropped-Logo-with-title-scaled-1.png","width":7046,"height":1227,"caption":"Vegan Cheese Review"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/1961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/producer\/833"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"additive","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/additive?post=1961"},{"taxonomy":"age","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/age?post=1961"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=1961"},{"taxonomy":"form","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/form?post=1961"},{"taxonomy":"main-ingredient","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/main-ingredient?post=1961"},{"taxonomy":"texture","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/texture?post=1961"},{"taxonomy":"cheese-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vegancheesereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cheese-type?post=1961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}