Meat analogs produced by high moisture extrusion (HME) are considered to be one of the products that have great potential for replacing real meat. The key issue as a meat analog is whether the texture can meet the standards of real meat. Nowadays, there have been some advances in the textural characterization of meat analogs, which are discussed in detail in this review. Firstly, this review describes the current characterizations of meat analogs in terms of fiber structure, hardness, springiness, tensile resistant force and sensory evaluation. Then, methods for analyzing the texture of meat analogs, such as texture analyzer, microstructure-based methods, and other methods for characterizing fiber structure, are summarized. In addition, these characterizations are discussed in relation to the factors that influence the texture of meat analogs during HME. Finally, we propose priorities and some promising methods for future meat analogs conformation studies.

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In this study, we investigated the effects of proteins on the properties of soy protein concentrate‐based meat analogs under high‐moisture extrusion conditions. The rheological properties of soy protein concentration‐sodium alginate (SPC‐SA) and soy protein isolate‐SPC‐SA (SPI‐SPC‐SA), pea protein isolate‐SPC‐SA (PPI‐SPC‐SA), and zein‐SPC‐SA were evaluated, and the texture properties, microstructure, water absorption, and cooking properties of the resulting protein–meat analogs were characterized after addition of the protein raw materials. Results obtained indicated that the raw material containing 30% SPI had the best viscoelasticity, and the hardness and chewiness of resulting meat analog analogs were the highest when 30% SPI was added, along with the largest volume and best water absorption after cooking. The degree of texturization and toughness of meat analogs were the highest when PPI and zein were 30 and 50%, respectively. Results from this study showed that the texture properties of soy protein concentrate‐based meat analogs were improved by adding proteins to raw material, thus providing a theoretical basis for further development of soy protein concentrate‐based meat analogs.