Plant-Based Alternatives to Meat Products.

Animal proteins have been used in the formulation and production of food products for many centuries, which has mainly been attributed to their excellent functional properties. However, the rearing of animals has been associated with an increased emission of greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming and climate change. Consequently, there has been a drive toward using alternative proteins, such as those from plant origins, which have been found to be more sustainable. A climate-smart strategy to contribute toward a reduction in meat consumption has been the formulation of plant-based meat analogues. The lower acceptance of these meat substitutes is mainly attributed to their sensorial, nutritional, and textural properties, which fail to resemble conventional meat. As such, there is a knowledge gap in understanding key aspects that come into play while formulating meat alternatives from plant sources by deciphering the link between the techno-functional attributes of protein and the various quality attributes of these food products. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the technical advances that have been made when it comes to plant-based meat substitutes that could drive consumer acceptance. There is also a huge impetus to diversify plant protein usage in meat analogues beyond soy and pea, which requires the applications of underutilised plant proteins to overcome their functional and organoleptic shortcomings, as well as the techno-economic challenges that have also been addressed in this work. Additionally, the nutritional equivalency of plant-based meat alternatives is reviewed, and the ways in which these products have been fabricated are discussed to assess the opportunities and challenges that exist in current product formulations. Other key determinants, such as environmental sustainability factors, prospective supply chain issues, and the market adoptability of plant-based meat alternatives, are also discussed. This review emphasises the fact that interlinking technical challenges with consumer insights and socioeconomic perspectives for protein transition is critical to ensure that innovations successfully land in the market.