Meat analogue, faux meat or meat alternatives are the substitutes designed to imitate the appearance, flavor, fibrillar structure, and sensational properties of real muscle meat products. High Moisture meat analogues (HMMA) are the result of extrusion at the high moisture content (i.e. 50- 70%) of soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, legume proteins including common beans and peas, or gluten, and many more. The technology used to produce high moisture meat analogues is known as high moisture extrusion cooking (HMEC), which lets the plant protein molecules experience various mechanical changes such as unfolding, realignment, and finally cross-linking through the process to gain the similarity in textural properties of meat analogues as beef, pork, and chicken. This process concludes to not only gain the appearance but also helps to achieve meat-like structure for the process of cooking and consumption preferences. They are being improved day by day to remain and hold the feel of real meat like tendencies for better cooking, eating, and stocking qualities, without compromising on the health concerns and nutritional intake.
High moisture meat analogues usually contain high amounts of essential amino acids and lower levels of saturated fats and cholesterol and this is one of the reasons that they have gained popularity as healthy, nutritionally balanced, and economically safe food. They are also high in proteins and fibers and make great alternatives to real meat along with being the safe food to consume as compared to traditional meat which can lead to many other risks considering the increasing animal diseases. These are often sold as frozen or refrigerated items and maintains the appearing structure and taste for acceptable shelf life.
The augmented admiration of meat analogues is also a direct result of significant demand in sustainable diets considering global warming and other environmental effects. In some cases, it could be religious, economic, and diversified eating trends as well to make people switch to faux meat.
Few factors leading to increased demand for meat analogues:
- A growing interest in healthy diets
- Concerning rise in meat prices
- Enhanced Popularity of vegan and vegetarianism
- Change in eating preferences such as reduced consumption of red meat
- An effective alternative source for high protein and fiber contents
Being vegan chicken products is an option people tend to choose by wish and for that, they have to alter their food choices to achieve the healthy lifestyle they look forward to. Though most of us are okay to go vegan, though a transition that drastic is quite a task considering the texture, taste, juiciness, and layered structure real meat offers. And it seems impossible to gain the same with popular vegan meat alternatives available in the market. Now, this has shown the way to scientists to produce vegan meat substitutes that looks and feels the same as real meat. Yes, they did their work and came up with meat analogues allowing everyone, without a second thought, to opt for a choice of living life and food without compromising on proper intake of nutritional substances and maybe a bit better way to consume the essentials without compromising the taste and flavor.
