Plant-Based and Cell-Based Approaches to Meat Production
Plant- and fungi-based meat (PBM) products encompass the flavor, texture, and/or nutritional aspects of meat but are different in composition; namely are made from non-animal sourced materials. PBM products can be classified into two categories based on development duration and technical complexity: classic and new. Traditional meat substitutes were created thousands of years ago in Asia and consist of quite simple soybean or wheat derivatives. Novel PBMs, on the other hand, are defined by the design and promotion of products that are nearly equal to ABM in terms of flavour, texture, and nutrition. Traditional and new product categories can exist because they fit some but not all of the aforementioned requirements.
Fig.1. Plant-based and Cell-based approaches to meat production (Nature.com)
Typically, the production of PBM includes three steps: (i) Protein isolation and functionalization: Target plant proteins are isolated from plants, with some of them being hydrolyzed to increase functions such as solubility and cross-linking capability. (ii) Composition: Plant proteins are combined with components such as food adhesives, plant-based oil, and flour to create a meat texture. Nutrients are supplied to match or exceed the meat’s nutritional profile. (iii) Processing: To get a meat-like texture, the mixture of plant proteins and other substances is subjected to protein reshaping techniques. Shear cell technology, mycelium cultivation, 3D printing, and recombinant protein additions are some of the cutting-edge technologies being used to improve the organoleptic qualities of PBMs.
