Comprehensive Review on the Role of Plant Protein As a Possible Meat Analogue: Framing the Future of Meat

Abstract

Animal proteins from meat and goods derived from meat have recently been one of the primary concerns in the quest for sustainable food production. According to this perspective, there are exciting opportunities to reformulate more sustainably produced meat products that may also have health benefits by partially replacing meat with nonmeat substances high in protein. Considering these pre-existing conditions, this review critically summarizes recent findings on extenders from a variety of sources, including pulses, plant-based ingredients, plant byproducts, and unconventional sources. It views these findings as a valuable opportunity to improve the technological profile and functional quality of meat, with a focus on their ability to affect the sustainability of meat products. As a result, meat substitutes like plant-based meat analogues (PBMAs), meat made from fungi, and cultured meat are being offered to encourage sustainability.

Advancements in Sustainable Plant-Based Alternatives: Exploring Proteins, Fats, and Manufacturing Challenges in Alternative Meat Production

“…Continuous efforts are being made to improve the palatability of plant-based meat alternatives, such as their appearance, flavor, texture, and ability to match that of meat. It must have a structure or tissue similar to that of animal muscle and must also have functional properties such as water retention capacity and fat adsorption [ 36 ]. All flavors, spices, and coloring substances added during manufacturing must be continuously retained within the tissue, even during cooking.…”

Probiotics: Health benefits, food application, and colonization in the human gastrointestinal tract

“…Researchers have increasingly focused on plant-based proteins like soybeans and peas in recent years, driven by their sustainability and potential as alternatives to high-quality animal protein (Arora et al, 2023;Hertzler et al, 2020;Langyan et al, 2022). Soymilk, known for its health benefits, including its potential to prevent chronic diseases such as menopausal disorders, cancer, atherosclerosis, and osteoporosis, has garnered attention (Kim, 2021;Messina et al, 2022).…”

An Overview of Ingredients Used for Plant-Based Meat Analogue Production and Their Influence on Structural and Textural Properties of the Final Product

“…As seen in Figure 1, based on their origin, plant-based protein sources can be divided into several groups: (1) legumes (soy, pea, chickpea, lentils, beans, peanuts); (2) cereals and pseudocereals (wheat, corn, oats, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat); (3) oil seeds (hemp, sunflower, rapeseed, sesame); and (4) algae. While some of the mentioned groups (e.g., legumes and cereals) contain proteins that are able to affect the structure of meat analogues and can therefore be used to produce meat analogues of a desired texture and mouthfeel [16], others are primarily used as good sources of amino acids and bioactive peptides [17,18]. Furthermore, besides proteins, seeds can also act as sources of fats necessary to ensure texture, flavor, mouthfeel and juiciness, but also as sources of fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids [15].…”

“…They are rich in lysine and threonine, have a low glycemic index and have many beneficial effects in helping to prevent and treat cancer [24]. From a technological point of view, pea proteins are important because they can form gels and emulsions and stabilize foams [16]. However, in comparison to soy proteins, their gelling capacity is much lower, so the mixtures have to be supplemented with different salts or structural agents to result in gels with the same textural properties as those made from soy proteins [9,25].…”