Issue 389: Is It a Plant or Meat? Unraveling the Mystery of Plant-Based Meat

From major news outlets, advertisements, and even restaurant menus both at home and abroad, it's clear that plant-based meat has gradually made its way into people's daily lives! Especially when you bite into a fragrant burger—the texture and color, so much like real meat, feel truly amazing. Facing environmental pollution caused by the livestock industry and the predicted meat shortage crisis by 2050 due to supply-demand imbalance, plant-based meat has emerged as a potential dietary solution of our time. To help demystify plant-based meat, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) invited nutritionist Yi-Cheng Hou to explain it to the public.

Plant-Based Meat: Similar to Low-Fat or Medium-Fat Protein Foods

At first glance, the term "plant-based meat" may sound contradictory, but it’s actually very straightforward. It refers to meat-like products made from plant-based ingredients, offering more options for vegetarians and flexitarians. Nutritionist Yi-Cheng Hou explained that plant-based meat can be categorized similarly to low-fat or medium-fat protein foods like beans, fish, eggs, and meat, and it is rich in dietary fiber. Moreover, many plant-based meat brands enrich their products with a variety of vitamins and minerals—especially Vitamin B12 and iron, nutrients that are harder for vegetarians to obtain—to enhance the nutritional value of plant-based meat.

Choosing Plant-Based Meat: Watch Out for Saturated Fat and Sodium Levels

Plant-based meat was originally created to help solve the imbalance in the global food market, and it has unexpectedly created a brand-new dietary choice. However, Hou reminded consumers to still pay attention to the amount of saturated fat, especially since the formula ratios vary by brand. The saturated fat content of commercially available plant-based burger patties ranges from 0.7g to 7.1g per 100g, while ground pork contains about 5.4g to 9.3g per 100g. Given these differences, people at high risk for cardiovascular disease or hypertension should carefully read ingredient lists and nutrition labels when choosing plant-based meat and be mindful of how much they consume.

Plant-Based Meat: Evolving Through Three Generations

In recent years, new types of plant-based meat products have rapidly gained popularity, and Taiwan’s market has kept pace internationally by offering a wide range of products for consumers. Let’s take a closer look at the evolution of plant-based meat processing, consumption tips, and understanding vegetarian labels.

The Evolution of Plant-Based Meat Processing Technologies

Taiwan’s rich vegetarian culture has long featured meat-like vegetarian products. But how are these products made, and what are their characteristics? According to San-Long Huang, a researcher at the Product and Process Development Center of the Food Industry Research and Development Institute, the development of plant-based meat has gone through three stages:

First Generation: Dry Extrusion Technology

This process results in a final product with low moisture content and coarse fiber texture. It typically requires secondary processing to become a finished product and mainly uses egg and dairy to bind the ingredients.

Second Generation: Wet Extrusion Technology

The opposite of the first generation, this method produces a high-moisture, finer fiber texture product, suitable for direct cooking and consumption.

Third Generation: Low-Shear Multidimensional Plant-Based Meat Forming Technology

The final product's fiber structure and texture are even closer to real meat muscle fibers and can be directly cooked.

Consumption Tips and Understanding Vegetarian Labels

To enhance flavor, many plant-based meats are seasoned during processing. Therefore, people with high blood pressure should pay special attention to sodium content. It’s recommended to taste the food before adding any extra salt or seasoning to avoid overburdening the body. When choosing plant-based meat, consumers are also encouraged to opt for products made with natural ingredients—for example, choosing colorants derived from beetroot or red yeast instead of artificial coloring—to eat more healthily.

The TFDA reminds the public that if a plant-based meat product claims to be vegetarian, its packaging must clearly indicate its vegetarian type according to regulations:

Vegan or Pure Vegetarian (no dairy, eggs, or five pungent spices),

Egg Vegetarian (vegan plus egg products),

Lacto Vegetarian (vegan plus dairy products),

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian (vegan plus dairy and egg products),

Plant-Based with Five Pungent Spices (may contain spices and possibly dairy/egg products).

This helps consumers confidently choose new types of plant-based meat products that match their personal dietary needs.

(Source: TFDA Good Articles Website: https://article-consumer.fda.gov.tw/subject.aspx?subjectid=1&id=3702)