Looking to “junk” food to design healthier options

Abstract

The now-famous plant protein patty known as the Impossible Burger is designed to mimic the taste, texture, and even bloodiness of real meat. Raw, it looks just like red ground beef. Grilled medium rare, the soy-based burger firms up but keeps its soft, pink center. "We're replicating the entire sensory experience," says biochemist Celeste Holz-Schietinger, an inventor for Impossible Foods, based in Redwood City, CA. "Even the sizzle."But this marvel of soy and heme isn't the only culinary creation that borrows design principles from one food to create another. Food researchers are constantly trying to develop new products that entice consumers, without changing the look, taste, or appeal of the original version. The aims are for the benefit of human health, as well as environmental responsibility. From A range of foods, from burgers made from plant protein to nonalcoholic beers, tap into design principles from the original food to make something new and, in principle, improved. Image credit: Shutterstock/Deutschlandreform.

The Color-Developing Methods for Cultivated Meat and Meat Analogues: A Mini-Review

“…Many commercial colorants, natural and synthetic, can be used to improve the color of plant-based meat. Impossible Food launched a plant-based beef patty with a nearly authentic color to conventional beef patties by incorporating heme proteins from genetically modified yeast ( McDermott, 2021 ). However, taboos around genetic modifications tend to affect product perception and acceptability.…”