White Paper - Plant Based Meat - Texturizing Plant Proteins
Authors:   Istanbul Saglik ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi (ISTÜN), Seyitnizam Mahallesi Mevlana Caddesi No: 85 Zeytinburnu - Istanbul, Turkey, E Kurt , E Klont ,   Istanbul Saglik ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi (ISTÜN), Seyitnizam Mahallesi Mevlana Caddesi No: 85 Zeytinburnu - Istanbul, Turkey, O Ergun ,   Istanbul Saglik ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi (ISTÜN), Seyitnizam Mahallesi Mevlana Caddesi No: 85 Zeytinburnu - Istanbul, Turkey
Published: June 2021

FAO forecasts that the global meat production needs to increase by 50% to provide quality protein for the ten billion people living on planet earth by 2050. Meat fits in a healthy diet and is a good source of essential proteins, B-vitamins and several minerals (i.e. selenium and iron). A growing world population will require in 2050 about twice more food, produced on twice less arable land. Meat production is seen as less sustainable with negatives impacts on animal welfare. There is a search for alternative proteins to replace part of the animal proteins that are currently used in abundance in the diet of most developed and affluent countries. Good digestible proteins may be a limiting factor in the future. Protein is an important part of the human diet, and the Essential Amino Acids (EAA) (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine (+cystine), phenylalanine (+tyrosine), threonine, tryptophan and valine), which cannot be synthesized de novo, need to be supplied through the diet. The FAO recommends that amino acids be treated as individual nutrients and that adjustments for digestibility be made when designing dietary guidelines or evaluating actual diets (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2013). Animal protein contains more EAA, and is of slightly higher human intestinal digestibility, than most plant-based proteins. To meet the 2050 challenge of feeding a rapidly growing human population, it is essential to carefully consider how to produce enough protein. To help consumers reduce their meat consumption, several strategies have been developed: One strategy is encouragement of ‘meatless days’ or smaller portion sizes. As a second strategy, meat in a meal can be replaced by the consumption of vegetables, beans, pulses, and/or nuts. In processed meat products, it can be replaced by using plant-based meat extenders as well [1]. Meat extenders are plant-based ingredients that act as fillers in processed meats. By doing so, the actual meat content in the product is lowered, leading to reduced meat intake. A third strategy is based on the development of structured vegetable protein products. Examples of traditionally structured products are tofu and tempeh, which are produced and consumed in East Asia for centuries. The consumer acceptance of these products is, however, lower in Western countries. Therefore, another category of structured products has emerged, referred to as meat analogues. Meat analogues are products that can replace meat in its functionality, being similar in product properties/sensory attributes, and that can also be prepared by consumers as if they were meat. The resemblance of these products to meat, in terms of texture, taste, appearance, and smell, is important for consumers that currently mostly choose meat [2]. At the moment a large number of textured vegetable proteins have already entered the market as meat analogues and substitutes. Textured structures based on soy proteins were one of the first to enter the market. At the moment there are textured vegetable proteins based on (mixtures of) pea, wheat, carrot, sunflower, onion etc. The main issue with vegetable based alternative proteins are the texture and taste of the final products. Producing steak like structures is possible with textured proteins. Most off flavours can be masked by spices and taste ingredients. In this white paper the current state of the art of the technical production processes of plant- based proteins, with special focus on the texturizing processes, will be described. This will include the established techniques that have been operated on commercial scale, and novel techniques that are less mature.