The Secret of Plant-Based Meat: How to "Trick" Your Tongue

As more people around the world choose a meat-free diet, food science is advancing to meet the demand for plant-based foods while ensuring that health and ethics are not compromised. In recent years, food companies have been working on developing meat substitutes. Many believe that reducing meat consumption can help promote environmental sustainability and improve personal health.

Currently, two major areas of research are plant-based meat and lab-grown meat. Each faces unique challenges: lab-grown meat requires culturing meat products from animal cells, while plant-based meat uses plant materials to replicate the structure and flavor of animal meat. Some well-known food companies, including Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, Mosa Meat, and Quorn, have successfully launched popular plant-based meat products.


From a scientific perspective, the development of plant-based meat is particularly remarkable as food manufacturers and researchers strive to create products with similar texture, flavor, appearance, and nutritional content to traditional meat.

The production process of plant-based meat

Typically, plant-based meat is composed of non-animal proteins and chemical compounds such as flavor enhancers, fats, pigments, and binders. These products usually have a water content of over 50%. During the production of plant-based meat, raw materials are mixed to imitate animal muscle tissue and flavored with the addition of flavor enhancers. Most meat substitutes use soy protein because it is relatively inexpensive and can absorb water and fat well, preventing these components from separating. Some companies also use other protein sources, such as wheat gluten, legumes (such as lentils, chickpeas, peas, and beans), and proteins from seed oils. Since most animal meats contain a certain amount of fat, which provides flavor and texture to meat products, plant-based meat manufacturers often add fats such as canola oil, coconut oil, or sunflower oil to make the product softer and more delicious.


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