Researchers make plant-based meat “more palatable”
University of Leeds researchers have developed a colloidal technique that “could give a juicy sensation without adding fat” to plant-based meat.
Hoping to encourage even more consumers to opt for plant-based meat, a team of researchers at the University of Leeds have developed a new colloidal technique that they claim “could give a juicy sensation without adding fat”.
The researchers state that there is a need for a “switch to plant-based diets to hit climate change targets” but the “biggest obstacle” for the uptake of plant-based alternatives to meat is their “very dry and astringent feel when they are eaten”.
With this in mind a team of scientists, led by Professor Anwesha Sarkar at the University of Leeds, claim to be “revolutionising” the sensation of plant proteins, by “transforming them from a substance that can be experienced as gloopy and dry to one that is juicy and fat like”.
“Plant proteins, which start off as dry with a rough texture, are placed in water and subjected to heating. This alters the structure of the protein molecules which come together to form an interconnected network or gel which traps water around the plant proteins,” explained the researchers.
By Grace Galler | New Food Magazine
Read full article Share on twitter