Consider a cholesterol-reducing cheese alternative.

Chemical engineers at the University of Cambridge have developed a cheddar cheese that looks, tastes and smells like traditionally processed cheddar, but the product contains a natural ingredient that stops cholesterol from getting into the body. The product, called "A Healthy Alternative to Cheese," has been introduced by the U.K.'s Tesco supermarket chain. The product may eventually be available worldwide. The technology is licensable from Angel Technology, which owns the rights.

The cheese is made from milk that has had all of its dairy fat removed and replaced with a vegetable oil naturally high in plant sterols. These sterols block special receptor sites, preventing cholesterol from getting into the bloodstream. Tests suggest the cheese alternative can cut cholesterol by as much as 20% in three weeks.

The product contains plant sterols that are naturally present in the food-grade plant oils used. The researchers did not alter the concentration or form of the sterols in any way in the process. They used the natural oils. The major part of the development has been to formulate these natural oils into a hard cheese.

Tests carried out at the Rowett Institute, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom, found that the cheese reduced cholesterol levels in almost all those who ate it. The average person would need to consume 65 g of the product on a daily basis--the amount you would put onto a baked potato--to obtain a 10% to 13% reduction in cholesterol levels. The cheese alternative, which is fairly mild, is produced in exactly the same way that cheddar cheese is made.

The scientists were approached to make a cheese product that was low in cholesterol and high in polyunsaturates. They used existing processes and natural ingredients. Cheddar accounts for 60% of the British cheese market, and it is extremely popular in the United States as well. It is possible to eat the recommended daily allowance by including it in just one main meal each day, we're told. Investigators are exploring the development of other cholesterol-reducing cheeses.

Further information. Nigel Slater, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge, New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, England CB2 3RA, U.K.; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail]. On the commercial rights: Stephen May, Angel Technology Ltd., The Well House, Wishanger, Churt, Farnham, Surrey, England GU10 2QJ, U.K.; email: [e-mail].