Plant-based burger

I Can't Believe It's Not Meat

The recent increase in research on the benefits of eating plant-based meals for environmental reasons and personal health and wellness has led to a rise in vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian diets, prompting consumers to reach for plant-based meat alternatives instead of conventional meats. These plant-based meat alternatives were explored in the Robert Mondavi Institute’s recent forum “Diners, Drivers, and the Design of Meat Alternatives,” featuring Dr. Andrew Gravelle, Assistant Professor of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis, and Phil Horn, President & CEO of Burger Patch, a Sacramento-born plant-based burger joint.

As someone who has eaten plant-based meat alternatives my whole life (while maintaining a balance between plant-based and conventional meats in my diet), I have witnessed firsthand the progress made in developing plant-based meats. As a child, I ate veggie patties, but there are now options (called next-generation meat analogs, according to Dr. Gravelle) that provide the whole sensory experience of conventional meat.

To explain the academic side of plant-based meats and how these next-generation meat analogs are produced, Dr. Gravelle first visited the fundamentals of protein science with the audience. He explained how conventional meats, or fibrous protein structures, can be mimicked with plant-based ingredients and emerging food science technologies. For example, to create the visual appearance of meat, plant-based meat producers use beets and pomegranates to color products a dark red color that even remains after cooking. To mimic the flavor and aroma of conventional meat, a critical part of the overall sensory experience, Gravelle explained that producers can utilize yeast extracts and certain amino acids and sugars. There is even a fermentation-derived iron in development to mimic the way heme iron in conventional meats catalyzes the formation of traditional aroma and flavor compounds. Overall, the science behind plant-based meat is complex and evolving continuously, with promising research projects currently in the mix, especially with Dr. Gravelle’s work at UC Davis.

Burger Patch’s President and CEO, Phil Horn, represented the industry side of plant-based meat alternatives. Horn reminisced on his childhood of eating burgers every day; however, now plant-based, Horn decided to create his own plant-based burger joint. Burger Patch preserves the nostalgic taste of burgers while enabling consumers to eat conveniently and consciously, bridging the food and values gap Horn himself has faced. Horn discussed how most customers are “veg-curious,” with over 75% of customers still consuming animal products. He remarked that if he sits in one of the restaurant locations for the day, he will hear multiple times that customers “can’t believe it’s not real meat!” Burger Patch works to outperform expectations, overdeliver to change a first-timer’s mind about plant-based meat, and earn a repeat visit from them. Despite giving up the conventional meat found in fast food, customers don’t need to give up the benefits of a digital, fast, high-quality, and delicious dining experience. And even though Burger Patch has been around for just five years, the company has already saved over 45,000 animals and 33 million gallons of water!

Next time I go to reach for conventional meat, I will think twice. With the benefits and ease of eating plant-based meats and a sensory experience analogous to traditional meats, I think it is easier than ever to be fooled by plant-based meat alternatives and think, “I can’t believe it’s not meat!”

To view the video recording of the event, visit the Forum webpage.


kendall

Kendal Koorenny is a current master’s student in the viticulture and enology program at UC Davis. She adores food, wine, and science and writing about it all! When she is not in class or working, you can find Kendal reading a book, crafting a new cocktail recipe, or spending time with her kitten.

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