Plant-based Meat Substitutes or Alternative Protein is one of the fastest-growing industries in the US and worldwide. It simply means deriving protein ingredients from plant-based sources like pulses (chickpeas, lentils, beans, split peas), tofu, soya, tempeh, seitan, nuts, seeds, certain grains, and even peas.
Global concerns about climate impact and food insecurity have accelerated the need for plant-based meat alternatives. In fact, the shift to alternative proteins may be the most cost-effective way of addressing the climate crisis (Boston Consulting Group, July 8, 2022).
Plant-based meat products, their ingredients and raw materials go through strict quality checks since they are a key food source for humanity. The manufacturers of these alternative proteins also have immense pressure to make their products look attractive to the human palate and be like the real meat in taste and texture. HunterLab provides the ideal color measurement solutions to ensure that the finished product is visually delicious for the consumer and consistently flawless for the food producer.
HunterLab instruments can measure the color of any protein-based product or raw material, including:
- Raw Materials: Soy isolates, protein flours, concentrates, natural colorants, ingredients, etc.
- Meat alternatives: beef, pork, poultry, seafood
- Protein beverages, dairy alternatives
- Protein bars, bakery, nutritional products
Why measure the color of plant-based protein
As far as the meat industry is concerned, color is a very important quality parameter for beef, lamb, pork, and chicken. The very first test consumers conduct is with their eyes. Does it look good enough to eat. There’s even a common cliché, “Oh, that looks good enough to eat”. Visual appearance influences consumers’ buying decisions based on perceived freshness and quality. Consumers rely on color to gauge food quality and acceptability.
Hunterlab’s unparalleled color measurement solutions can give accurate and consistent L, a, b color scale values that help derive quantitative color scores. These values during quality check processes give you full confidence that you are producing consistent, high-quality product that will feed the world. You don’t have to risk throwing away batches of poor-quality final packages or worry about loss of revenue. Stay on top of delivering visually delicious meat alternatives by measuring the color at every stage of production – from raw ingredients to ready to cook, and ready to eat.
Food scientists are involved in all aspects of plant protein products for optimal consumer acceptance. The Food Color scientists at HunterLab are doing their part by providing quantitative color measurement solutions. This is even more important for the plant-based protein industry, as it is still an emerging field, and there are still unknown challenges involved. A few known challenges are:
- Consumers desire color and appearance to match traditional products and meat varieties closely
- What does the product look like before and after cooking? Analyzing and measuring them at different stages is essential to creating standards.
- Raw material quality translates to superior consumer products. Measuring the color of the raw materials ensures that quality is being maintained from the source.
