Taste remains one of the biggest barriers for consumers around the world who stick to the meat category, experts made clear. In addition, the meat’s original taste and mouthfeel are key to satisfying heavy meat eaters, Plant Futures founder Indy Kaur told FoodNavigator this week.
More than a fraction (51%) of consumers who have tried plant-based meat would try it again for its taste, said James Petrie, CEO and co-founder of Nourish Ingredients, providing insight from the Good Food Institute.
Fats similar to those found in animals make for a positive experience, especially in meat alternatives, Petrie said. “Fat is what makes foods delicious and gives them the flavor, texture and aroma that other people love about protein and dairy,” she continued.
Many companies upgrade animal fat with commercial fats, such as coconut or palm oil, but they don’t tend to work as well as animal fat.
Petrie, however, claimed to have known “the most potent fat discovered in meat and dairy” in nature through molecular dissection. The procedure can be intensified by fermentation to create “sustainable, climate-resilient animal fat,” Petrie said.
However, plant-based fats can also be used to fight food poverty or affordability through the progression of “hybrid meats” that can contribute to the production of less expensive or more readily available meat products.
“Middle classes around the world need to eat like the West, but there is not enough [red meat] to go around and more than a portion of consumers don’t like the taste of plant-based foods,” Petrie said.
Meat opportunities can be produced in larger quantities, more sustainably and less expensively. Combined with more flavorful fats, they could meet the demand for real meat at a lower price.
The theory can also be applied to dairy products. “We are being asked very direct questions by corporations that make 3 billion slices of cheese, but are asking for 4 billion,” Petrie said.
“We then try to expand the existing food source even further [using our technique] without wasting quality or consistency. The result is that you get more bang for your buck and produce more food that other people need to eat.