The smell, flavor, texture and color of meat are distinctive. These four characteristics have set meat apart for a very long time. In recent years food manufacturers have begun to concentrate on developing meat substitutes. People believe that a shift away from a meat-heavy lifestyle can improve both their health and the environment.
Two of the main research areas have been lab-grown and plant-based alternatives to meat. Each has its own unique challenges. The process of creating lab-grown meat involves growing animal cells, and then generating the meat product. Plant-based alternatives to meat use plant-based materials to create animal-like flavors and structures. Impossible Meats, Beyond Meats, Mosa Meats, and Quorn are some of the major food manufacturers that produce plant-based alternatives to meat that customers seem to like.
The development of meat-free alternatives from a scientific standpoint is particularly intriguing, as food producers and researchers try to develop products that have similar textures, tastes, looks, and nutritional compositions to juicy hamburgers and tender chicken fingers. My research as a biochemist, who educates students on how to fuel our bodies with food, focuses primarily on how these products are produced and their composition. I am fascinated by how well they mimic animal meat.
The main components of animal meats include protein, water and fat. Small amounts of vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates and other nutrients are also present. Animal tissue is usually muscle. It has a distinct shape, made up of fibers that contain protein and are bound together by connective tissues.
Muscles are the source of animal meat. They contain fibers that have been bound together with connective tissues.
Size and shape of protein fibers affect the texture of meat. Natural lipids, such as fats or oils, can affect the structure of proteins and therefore the taste, tenderness and juicyness of meat. The water content of meat products is also high. Plant-based alternatives to meat are typically made with nonanimal protein, chemical compounds which enhance flavor, fats and coloring agents. The products contain over 50% water. The ingredients used to produce meat substitutes are mixed together in a way that mimics animal muscle tissue, and then flavored with flavor enhancers.
Development of a meatlike texture
The majority of meat substitutes come from soy because it’s relatively inexpensive and absorbs water and fat easily, binding them together so that they won’t separate. Other proteins are used by some companies, including wheat gluten, lentils (chickpeas), peas and beans, as well as proteins from seed oil.
Plant-based meat alternatives will add oils such as coconut oil, canola, and sunflower to soften and enhance the taste of their products. The ingredients of salad dressings can sometimes be separated into layers because proteins and fats do not mix well with water. Food manufacturers must emulsify these ingredients or combine them when using them. It is important to emulsify the ingredients in order for them to form a network that has a pleasing texture. Food products can become greasy, soggy, or even disgusting if they are not emulsified.
Many meat substitutes for vegans also contain gelling agents to bind fat and water. These products help with emulsification as they are rich in starch which is a strong lubricant for water and fat. It allows a more mixed network of water, fats and proteins. This makes them more meaty and appealing to the consumer.
Producing a product that has a texture similar to meat is more than just stirring and dumping. Animal meat, which is mostly muscle tissue, has an unusual spatial distribution of water, proteins and fats. To mimic the structure of animal meat, manufacturers have used processes like stretching, kneading and folding. They also use 3D printing. Extrusion is the current most common processing technique.
The extrusion method is where dry ingredients, such as plant proteins and fats, are combined with water in a continuous stream. The machine’s inner portion rotates as a screw and combines the molecules to transform the plant materials from their spherical shape into fibers.
Because each plant protein has a different behavior during the manufacturing process and therefore, some meat substitutes made from plants may use different ingredients depending on its structure.
Add the Savory Flavour
Meat has an umami and savory flavor that is distinct.
Maillard browning is a set of chemical reactions that helps to develop complex and rich flavors in animal meats as they are cooked. Additives such as miso, yeast extracts and mushrooms can improve the taste of plants-based substitutes by encouraging Maillard reactions.
The smell of meats cooked is usually the result of chemical reactions between amino acids and sugars. The amino acids form the basis of protein. Many researchers have tried to reproduce some of these reactions. Alternative meat producers will use browning agents such as methionine and cysteine to promote the reactions. They may also add sugars and vitamin thiamin. Alternative meats can be given a similar smell by adding natural smoke flavors derived from mesquite or hickory.
Plant-based meats that are made from more pea or lentil protein look browner and more like real meat.
We Eat With Our Eyes First
Apicius, a Roman first century food lover, said “We eat with the eyes first.”
This means even though the texture and flavors of the vegan meat are perfect, consumers will decide whether or not they wish to purchase and consume it based on its appearance. Food manufacturers usually create plant-based alternatives to meat that look similar to classic meat dishes, such as hamburgers or meatballs. The manufacturers will also use natural colorants such as caramel, beetroot and annatto to make the plant-based meat alternatives appear more similar in colour.
Plant protein such as wheat gluten and soy do not brown the same way animal meat. Some food manufacturers increase their use of lentil and pea proteins to make the meat substitute appear more brown when cooked. It’s possible to replicate the texture, taste, and appearance, as well as the structure of meat, with a little research. The question is: Will they be consumed? People do seem to want meat made from plants.
The demand for plant-based meat has increased in countries all over the world. By 2030, it’s predicted that the market will grow to almost 20% by 2023. Julie Pollock, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Richmond. The Conversation has republished this article under a Creative Commons License.
