Kosher Conundrum Inspires Dairy-free Domain

Some may speak about the land of milk and honey but New Jersey entrepreneur David Mintz prefers his idyllic land to be dairy-free. Mintz, whose company Tofutti Brands sold more than $18.6 million of milk product substitutes in 2009 filled a void that companies like Kraft, Nestle, Unilever, Dean Foods and Danon left wide open.

Mintz’s obsession with creating dairy-free products started back in the 1970s when he realized that kosher customers visiting his Brooklyn deli were secretly yearning for meals that combined meat with cream sauces. Determined to figure out a way to please his patrons without violating Jewish dietary laws, Mintz set forth in search of ingredients that could mimic the consistency of cheese, cream cheese, ice cream and sour cream without incurring a rabbi’s wrath. After years of testing various foods, Mintz happened upon one magic ingredient: Tofu.

Tofu, or bean curd, is a high-protein, no-cholesterol, low-calorie Asian foodstuff that started gaining acceptance in the U.S. more than thirty years ago as a health food. A tasteless and spongy block of bean curd absorbs the flavors of any ingredients added to it. Tofu is produced in a variety of consistencies and can be substituted in place of cheese, creams and puddings. Crumble it up, toss in Italian spices like basil and oregano and tofu becomes lasagna filling. When frozen, thawed and then stir fried with other ingredients, tofu can mimic pieces of beef. Blend it with some sweeteners and VOILA! You’ve just transformed tofu into a delicious dessert that can fool even the fussiest palates.

Most everyone said Mintz was meshuggenah when he first started out. There was no way he’d be able to come up with a suitable dairy alternative. But the determined deli operator found a fan in Lubavitcher rabbi Menachem Schneerson. “This is going to be huge. Don’t open a new restaurant. Don’t get discouraged. The good lord will help you,” Mintz recalled of Schneerson’s advice.

Nine years of tinkering and toiling in the kitchen resulted in Mintz developing the first tofu-based pseudo-dairy products. Mintz branded started selling “Tofutti” in 1981 and 1983 the company had gone public. Observant Jews would now be able to serve up truly kosher beef stroganoff and cheeseburgers. Conservative and Orthodox children could rejoice by having frozen ice cream-like desserts at their bar and bat mitzvahs.

In some cases, Mintz’s products were so close to the real thing a few devout deli customers accused him of slipping dairy products into his dairy-free meals. Some were so angry that Mintz had to put out literature that introduced his deli’s clientele to tofu. More than thirty years later, Mintz’s Tofutti Brands empire includes dairy-free sour cream, cream cheese, blintzes, individually wrapped “cheese,” singles, frozen pizzas, ice cream-like sandwiches, frozen dessert bars and chocolate chip cookies.

No longer just a health food store staple, Tofutti brands are now sold in popular U.S. grocery store chains like Albertsons, Food Lion, Giant, Pathmark, Price Chopper, Publix and Ralphs. Recipes for Tofutti-based cheese cakes, ice cream cakes, jalapeno poppers, and dips abound on the Internet. Tofutti has also gained popularity internationally and is sold in more than 30 countries around the globe. And while observant Jews were the initial customer base, Toffutti products are now popular with strict vegetarians and lactose-intolerant individuals. With an estimated 60 million Americans unable to digest dairy and 1 million people who abstain from eating any milk products, Mintz’s Tofutti Brands has responded to market demand. Oddly, when the New Jersey Jewish Standard interviewed Mintz in 2009, the entrepreneur revealed that his greatest customers weren’t necessarily Jewish, lactose intolerant or vegan. Most were people who just happened to love Tofutti.

Tofutti Brands hit a financial speed bump during its 2011 3rd quarter when its best customer, retailer Trader Joe’s, announced it would no longer sell branded food items. The result was a 17% drop in Tofutti sales from the previous year. The company reported that net sales for the quarter were $3,617,000 million, a decrease of $761,000 from the year before. But Mintz’s dairy-free domain will likely bounce back and prevail. The company knows its audience, has a steady track record of producing quality food products and works hard to promote itself with interested clientele. The company reportedly sold $18.6 million in dairy-free delicacies in 2009 and in February 2011, Mintz announced plans to launch a new product coined “Better than Ricotta” cheese substitute. Last year, Mintz revealed his secret for success to North Jersey.com writer Joan Verdon. “You can’t put too much on your plate because it falls off the plate…you have to know what not to do,” he said.