Technological interventions in improving the functionality of proteins during processing of meat analogs

Abstract

Meat analogs have opened a new horizon of opportunities for developing a sustainable alternative for meat and meat products. Proteins are an integral part of meat analogs and their functionalities have been extensively studied to mimic meat-like appearance and texture. Proteins have a vital role in imparting texture, nutritive value, and organoleptic attributes to meat analogs. Processing of suitable proteins from vegetable, mycoproteins, algal, and single-cell protein sources remains a challenge and several technological interventions ranging from the isolation of proteins to the processing of products are required. The present paper reviews and discusses in detail various proteins (soy proteins, wheat gluten, zein, algal proteins, mycoproteins, pulses, potato, oilseeds, pseudo-cereals, and grass) and their suitability for meat analog production. The review also discusses other associated aspects such as processing interventions that can be adapted to improve the functional and textural attributes of proteins in the processing of meat analogs (extrusion, spinning, Couette shear cell, additive manufacturing/3D printing, and freeze structuring). ‘

Preparation of Whole-Cut Plant-Based Pork Meat and Its Quality Evaluation with Animal Meat

“…The ash content (1.85~1.96 g/100 g) of PBP3, C-PBP1, and C-PBP2 was similar to APM (1.91 g/100 g), indicating that the content of mineral elements in the samples was comparable to that of inorganic compounds after high-temperature oxidation. Protein content ranged from 6.04 to 18.22 g/100 g, and the protein content of PBP2, PBP3, and C-PBP2 was more than 12 g/100 g, which means they can thus be categorized as high-protein foods [ 6 , 27 , 28 ]. Moreover, the protein content of PBP3 and C-PBP2 was similar to that of APM (16.79 g/100 g).…”

Developments in Plant Proteins Production for Meat and Fish Analogues

“…Soybeans are among the most important plant protein sources. They owe their popularity mainly to high availability, good price, and nutritional quality [ 8 ]. Soybean is known for its wide range of food products such as instant formula, protein concentrates and isolates, and textured fibers [ 9 ].…”

“…The aligned sheets are connected, forming a fibrous structure. Obtaining fibrous products is achievable if the proteins have relatively good solubility prior to freezing, and during the freezing process, these proteins become insoluble [ 8 , 130 ]. Additionally, the structure obtained by freeze structuring is determined by the plant protein source and its properties (water-holding capacity, solubility, and gelation), and also the freezing conditions (duration, temperature, the rate of freezing, pH, the solids content of the material, surface effects, heat exchange effects, degree of confinement, and pressure effects) [ 15 , 169 ].…”

Mungbean and pumpkin protein isolates as novel ingredients for the development of meat analogs using heat-induced gelation technique

“…Proteins are essential for giving MAs their characteristic texture, nutritional value, and organoleptic qualities (Kumar et al, 2022). The combination of different ingredients have an impact on the formation of MAs which depends on the source of protein and processing technique (Kyriakopoulou et al, 2021).…”

“…Therefore, it is pivotal to select a plant protein with excellent functionality to mimic conventional animal proteins. While soybean meal and wheat gluten have been widely used as the main plant-based protein ingredients for "MAs" because of their highquality essential amino acids that are bioavailable for human nutrition (Kumar et al, 2022), but these ingredients have certain drawbacks eg. allergic proteins (Ozturk et al, 2023).…”