Plant protein/carbohydrate composites-based food gels for plant-based meat alternatives production: a review

With the rapid growth of the global population, there is a gradual increase in the demand for meat. However, this surge in demand raises concerns regarding the health and environmental impacts associated with conventional meat production. Plant-based meat alternatives (PMAs), constructed from food gels comprising plant proteins and carbohydrates, have emerged as a promising solution to address these concerns. Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, with its flexibility and personalized food manufacturing capabilities, demonstrates significant advantages in terms of production efficiency, sustainability, and resource utilization, making it an ideal bridge for the application of food gels in the manufacturing of PMAs. This review focuses on the research progress and key roles of various types of food gels, such as hydrogels, emulsion gels, and oleogels, in the processing of PMAs. Building upon this, it elaborates on how customized 3D printing technology can be integrated with these food gels to provide personalized solutions for PMAs manufacturing. In the future, this integration will contribute to improving production efficiency, reducing resource wastage, and thus promoting more sustainable PMAs production. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.