Meat Alternatives Formulation and Laboratory Analysis

Plant-based meat alternatives generally use grains or pulses. Grains used include wheat, oat, and corn. Pulses include the edible seeds of leguminous plants, e.g., lentils, black beans, soybeans, and peas.

Pulses/legumes are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and complex carbohydrates, and soy and pea-based substitutes tend to be preferred by consumers. They are sold as concentrates containing about 65% protein or as isolates containing about 85% protein. Soybeans and peas are nitrogen-fixing and support soil health and biodiversity, which make them one of the legumes with the lowest level of negative environmental impact.

Low prices, little or no allergen concerns, and investments across the entire value chain make plant-based proteins currently one of the best meat alternatives for conscious consumers.

Even though insects are a common food source for 2 billion people across the globe, insect-based products are still considered novel in Western countries. Insect protein concentrate has an environmental footprint that is lower than animal proteins but higher than plant protein sources. Due to their low solubility and variable nutritional properties, insect proteins are ideal as an additional source of proteins in meat analogs when they are, for example, combined with soy or plant proteins. Insect-derived food, even though an interesting source of protein, also contains some risks of allergic reactions or contamination with heavy metals or spore-forming bacteria.

While plant and insect proteins are generally extracted from farmed crops or insects, fungi, algae, and cell-cultivated meat alternatives are mainly produced in bioreactors through bioprocessing.

Fungi-based meat alternatives commonly use mycoproteins as their main component. Mycoprotein is the name for the food-grade protein source made from the fungus Fusarium venenatum, which was found in the wild and developed to produce food-grade proteins.

Mycoproteins can be converted into a wide range of analog food products. The length of fungi fibers can be controlled through the fermentation process: the longer the fungus is allowed to grow, the longer fibers become, creating a coarser texture in the final product.

Mycoproteins are ideal as meat substitutes since their dry weight contains approximately 50% protein, which is comparable to the composition of a grilled steak. Moreover, they have a lower fat content than steak, with only 13% vegetable fat, no cholesterol, and a fiber content of 25%.

Algae-based meat alternative - While several species of algae have been used as food additives in the past, microalgae are now catching food formulators’ attention as a promising novel ingredient for the formulation of meat analogs. Microalgae such as chlorella and spirulina have a superior growth rate, higher protein content, and better nutritional quality than land crops used for plant proteins. In addition to their high protein content, microalgae also contain micronutrients, polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, and bioactive compounds with functional properties for additional health benefits.

Even though algal protein concentrates have a green or yellow color and a generally unattractive fishy odor, they can increase the nutritional value of plant-based meat analogs when the proper process conditions are met.

Cultivated meat is another alternative to farmed meat products. Unlike some other offerings, however, this approach is not a protein-based imitation but is an animal-based product that avoids breeding, raising, and slaughtering large numbers of animals.

With cultivated meat, companies are aiming to produce cell-based meats that are biologically equivalent to farmed meat through the culture of animal cells. The meat is produced by culturing animal stem cells in bioreactors before inducing differentiation into muscle cells that form into tissue on a specific scaffold.

Even though cultivated meats remain pricey at the moment, cell-based processes are being optimized in terms of cost to become competitive in the meat alternatives market.

The formulation of meat alternatives is challenging when it comes to taste, texture, mouthfeel, and nutritional value.

Meat and fish contain a wide range of nutrients, including essential vitamins and minerals, that can be missing in their “meatless” counterparts. The fatty mouthfeel, juiciness, firmness, and chewiness of the meat product may also be difficult to replicate. Therefore, when working to develop meat alternatives, food formulators must add other ingredients to complement proteins to give the product the right appearance, flavor, consistency, and nutritional profile. Additional concerns include keeping sodium content as low as possible.

To address health concerns in meat alternative development, it is vital to ensure that products achieve production consistency and meet local labeling standards, which includes ensuring that the nutrition content as stated on the packaging is correct. Therefore, lab analysis, in-process control, and quality control of meat substitutes are important.

Several analytical methods are used to assess the taste and behavior of meat alternatives and evaluate if nutritional, texture, and mouthfeel requirements are met.

• Weighing is important in recipe formulation, preparation of culture media, or quality control when preparing samples or standards for analyses such as HPLC/GC (pesticides, trace metal), protein determination, weighing dry matter, determining fat content before and after Soxhlet extraction or assessing total mineral content after ashing.
• Moisture and water analysis use halogen moisture analysis, loss on drying, or Karl Fisher titration to measure the moisture or water content of raw ingredients or a product during different formulation steps. Halogen moisture analysis helps ensure ingredient and product quality and to determine its shelf life.
• pH determination can be important during product development to ensure the solubility of the alternative proteins within the formulation. E.g., while soy proteins are soluble at pH 4.5-6.0, proteins from chlorella are soluble at pH 2.0-12.0. pH determination is also important in quality control to assess that the final product is not spoiled.
• Quantitative analyses such as titration for sodium content determination, protein according to Kjeldahl, UV Vis for glucose/fructose and vitamin content, weighing for fat content according to Soxhlet as well as ash and fiber content are commonly performed in quality control of meat alternatives.
• Physical analyses such as density, refractive index, melting point, or UV Vis, give indications on the purity of the ingredients and raw materials.
• Microbiological studies are important to assess the nature and the extent of potential bacterial contamination, and to assess the shelf-life of a final product. Instruments such as pipettes, balances, and pH meters are commonly used to prepare agar media.
• Thermal analyses are used to assess the shelf-life of the product as well as the behavior of food additives throughout the manufacturing process. TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) can be used to study the mass and decomposition of a meat alternative as it is heated, while DSC can be used to evaluate protein denaturation, the crystallization behavior of fats, or the thermal changes additives undergo during the heating and cooling processes employed during meat alternative production.
• Cell culture monitoring is important for bioprocessed meat protein alternatives. Parameters such as pH and dissolved oxygen assess cell growth and should be monitored inline throughout the culturing process.

METTLER TOLEDO’s laboratory instrument portfolio is designed to assist you across the lifecycle of meat alternative development and quality control. Our products support you from the lab to the production floor, helping you accurately evaluate raw materials and novel ingredients, including the quantification of individual nutrients for labeling accuracy.