Plant-based per product category Plant-based meat alternatives Although plant-based meat alternatives have improved greatly in recent years, food developers still face three main challenges. Firstly, plant proteins have lower structuring properties than fibrous animal protein; secondly, the flavour of some plant proteins can be perceived as off-notes; and thirdly, plant-based meat alternatives lack the juiciness of meat.6 Manufacturers have traditionally favoured texturized vegetable protein (TVP), produced via extrusion, for meat analogues. This protein base is mixed with binders, such as egg white protein in vegetarian products and methylcellulose in vegan products, to recreate formed meat products like sausages and burger patties. Using a variety of plant proteins can result in more meat-like textures. A mix of soy protein and wheat gluten, for instance, may result in a more fibrous structure than soy protein alone7. The latest version of the Impossible Burger blends soy and potato protein for improved texture and chew.8 The ‘holy grail’ of plant-based meat analogues, however, is a whole-cut of meat such as steak, and novel processing technologies are paving the way for such products. Couette (shear) cell technology, developed by researchers at Wageningen University and commercialised by its spin-off Rival Foods, can produce large pieces of fibrous meat analogues with different textures depending on ingredient, temperature, and pressure inputs.9 High-moisture twin-screw extrusion processes are tipped to be a game-changer in delivering whole muscle products, particularly for chicken and fish analogues,10 while some companies are using 3D printing to create complex, layered textures. Austrian start-up Legendary Vish, Spain’s NOVAMEAT, and Israel’s Redefine Meat are active in the 3D printing space. Other companies are taking a single-ingredient and minimal processing approach by fermenting mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, as a wholefood meat analogue (see spotlight on Fermentation on p.11 for more). Strides are also being made to replicate the functionality and taste of animal fat, which provides a mouthcoating juiciness and richness in meat. Animal fat is difficult to create using plant-based oils because of different melting points; animal fat is solid at room temperature but many vegetable oils are not. Some companies opt for fat blends - the latest version of Beyond Burger’s patty uses a mix of coconut oil and cocoa butter – while encapsulating fat is another solution to prevent fat from melting before it is desirable.11 Scientists are also looking into the potential of quillaja, a botanical extract with natural emulsifying and foaming properties, which could be used to create nano-scale oleogels.12 US company Motif FoodWorks is developing novel processing techniques to create animal-free emulsions that it says display the physical properties of animalbased fat at room temperature and allow manufacturers to recreate the marbled structure of fat in muscle.13
4| Learn more about Fi Global CONNECT: Plant-Based Ingredients in the Spotlight
