New Study Looks at the Effects of Fortifying Vegan Meat Alternatives

A new study, which was funded by vegan alternative foods manufacturer Quorn Foods, looks at how fortification can change the taste, texture, and nutrition of vegan meat alternatives. Specifically, the study looked at how iron fortification affected products that had been developed with potato proteins rather than egg whites. 

Vegan alternative manufacturers, including Quorn, typically use egg whites to bind their products together, increase nutritional benefits, and create a specific texture. However, products made with egg whites are not suitable for vegans. Rising interest in animal-product-free alternatives has propelled companies to begin replacing egg whites with alternative, plant-based protein sources and binders. 

Professor Brent Murray from the University of Leeds headed the study. He and his team looked at how fortification with ferric salt, or iron, changed the nutritional profile of the vegan meat alternatives. 

Fortification may be particularly important for vegan meat alternatives as these can lack micronutrients like iron and B12. These nutrients are found in animal products, like egg whites, but not in plant-based alternatives. So, fortifying the vegan version can help products retain their nutritional value.

However, fortification with iron can change the texture of the products. So, the research team experimented with the effects of different types of fortification. The products that they were experimenting with were mycoproteins that had been made from potatoes. They wanted to know how different fortification methods affected these proteins. Overall, their findings showed that when fortifying potato mycoproteins with iron, food manufacturers should pay attention to pH and calcium levels. 

Eventually, this research can be used to create vegan meat alternatives that have a good taste, texture, and nutrition. These products will respond to the increasing desire for fully plant-based products. 

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