Meat alternative

Some foods taste like meat. They are made from plants.

People use soy to make tofu. Tofu was made in China a long time ago.

Some people call it "small mutton."

Other foods use wheat or nuts. People used grapes and nuts in Europe long ago.

Today, companies make plant burgers. They use spices to make them taste good.

These foods help the Earth. Many people like to try them.

Some foods are made to taste like meat. We call these meat alternatives. They use plants or fungi instead of animals.

People eat them for many reasons. Some follow religious rules. Others want to help the planet.

These foods have a long history. Tofu was made in China a long time ago. In the past, some people even called it "small mutton."

In Europe, people used nuts and grapes to mimic meat during Lent. In the 1800s, John Harvey Kellogg made food from nuts and soy. He called his product Protose.

Today, many things can act like meat. Some use soy, like tofu or tempeh.

Others use wheat gluten, which is called seitan. Some use mycoprotein, which comes from fungi. Companies now make plant burgers and nuggets. They use spices and oils to match the flavor of meat. Some even grow meat cells in a lab. This uses special tools called scaffolds to help them grow. This helps make the food feel like real meat.

Meat alternatives are special foods made to taste like meat. People often call them plant-based meat or mock meat. These foods use ingredients like plants or fungi to replace animal meat. The main goal is to copy the look and flavor of meat. They also try to match the mouthfeel, which is how food feels in your mouth. Many people choose these foods for different reasons. Some follow religious or cultural dietary laws. Others want to help the planet by using less animal farming. Even people who usually eat meat sometimes try them to be more sustainable.

Making these foods involves many clever steps. Some makers use a "bottom-up" way to build the food. They make tiny fibers first and then put them together. This can make the food feel very much like real meat. Other makers use a "top-down" way called food extrusion. This method shapes the material to make it fibrous.

Some new foods are even grown in labs. Scientists use tiny cells and special structures called scaffolds. These scaffolds give the cells a place to grow into tissue. This is a very high-tech way to make food.

People have been making meat substitutes for a very long time. Tofu was invented in China as early as 200 BCE. During the Han dynasty, people even called tofu "small mutton." This shows they thought it was a great meat substitute.

In the Middle Ages, people in Europe used nuts and grapes. They did this to mimic meat during Lent. This was a time when they could not eat certain animals. In the late 1800s, John Harvey Kellogg made a product called Protose. It was made from peanuts and wheat gluten.

There are many different types of these foods today. Many use soy, such as tofu, tempeh, or textured vegetable protein. Some use wheat gluten, which is known as seitan. Others use mycoprotein, which comes from fungi.

Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are very famous now. They make things like burger patties and chicken nuggets. In 2019, Burger King even served the Impossible Whopper. Other big brands like Nestlé and Morningstar Farms also make plant-based items. These products are found in many restaurants and stores worldwide.

Most meat alternatives use a few main ingredients to work. They often contain 50 to 80 percent water. They also use 10 to 25 percent textured vegetable proteins. To get a meaty taste, makers add spices and oils. They use things like yeast extract or fermented foods.

They even use science to copy how meat smells when it cooks. This helps the food taste much more real. Whether it is a burger or a nugget, these foods link old traditions with new science.

A meat alternative, also called a meat substitute or plant-based meat, is a food designed to replace animal meat. These products aim to replicate the sensory qualities of meat, such as its appearance, flavor, and mouthfeel. People consume these alternatives for many reasons. Vegetarians and vegans use them to meet dietary needs. Many people also follow religious or cultural dietary laws that require meatless eating. Recently, flexitarians have become more interested in these foods to reduce the environmental impact of animal agriculture.

To create a meat-like texture, manufacturers use two main scientific approaches: bottom-up and top-down structuring. The bottom-up approach involves making individual fibers separately and then assembling them into a larger product. This method, used in cultured meat, allows for precise control over the food's nutritional profile and structure. The top-down approach uses a technique called food extrusion. In extrusion, the material is deformed to induce a fibrous structure. While top-down methods are highly scalable, bottom-up methods may more closely resemble the actual structure of animal meat.

Meat alternatives can be categorized by their base ingredients. Many are soy-based, including tofu, tempeh, and textured vegetable protein (TVP). Tofu is made from soybeans, while TVP is a dry commodity derived from soy protein concentrate. Another common type is seitan, which is made from wheat gluten. Some products use mycoprotein, a protein from fungi, such as the brand Quorn. Newer technologies even use precision fermentation. This process uses single-cell organisms like yeast to produce specific proteins. Other companies are exploring high-protein bacteria or the mycelium of fungi to create steaks and fish.

Producing soy protein isolate requires a specific chemical process. First, the soybeans undergo dehulling, or decortication, to remove the outer shells. Next, solvents like hexane are used to extract the oil. The remaining oil-free soybean meal is suspended in water and treated with an alkali. This alkali dissolves the protein while leaving the carbohydrates behind. Finally, acidic substances are added to precipitate the protein, which is then washed and dried. This results in a highly pure protein with a neutral flavor. Soy protein is a complete protein, meaning it contains all essential amino acids for human growth.

History shows that meat substitution is an ancient practice. Tofu was invented in China as early as 200 BCE during the Han dynasty. A document from 903 to 970 CE describes tofu as "small mutton," showing it was valued as an imitation of meat. In medieval Europe, people used chopped nuts and grapes to substitute for mincemeat during Lent. In the late 19th century, John Harvey Kellogg developed meat replacements from grains, nuts, and soy. His company sold Protose, a product made from peanuts and wheat gluten. By 1930, several thousand tons of Protose had been consumed.

Modern meat alternatives have a specific chemical composition. Most products consist of 50% to 80% water and 10% to 25% textured vegetable proteins. They also contain 4% to 20% non-textured proteins and 0% to 15% fat and oil. To achieve a convincing taste, makers add 3% to 10% flavors and spices. They may also use 1% to 5% binding agents and a small amount of coloring agents. Scientists replicate the Maillard reaction, which is a chemical reaction that produces aromas during cooking. They also study lipid oxidation and thiamine breakdown to better mimic the smell of real meat.

In the 21st century, meat alternatives have entered the mainstream commercial market. Since the 2010s, companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have popularized plant-based beef and chicken products. In 2019, Burger King launched the Impossible Whopper nationwide. Other major restaurant chains like KFC and Carl's Jr. also began selling plant-based items. Large food corporations like Nestlé and Kellogg's have also entered this market. These developments show how meat alternatives have moved from niche dietary needs to a massive global industry.