Sustainable Approach to Prolong Cold Storage Shelf Life of Plant-Based Meat Using Lactic Acid Bacteria

The growing global population has highlighted the need to replace animal-based meat with plant-based meat (PBM) as a protein source. Using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) offers a promising and sustainable approach to prolong PBM shelf life and maintain quality comparable to non-food additives. This study investigated the potential of LAB to improve the qualities of PBM products. Three LAB strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LM), Lactiplantibacillus pentosus (LS), and Pediococcus acidilactici (PA) were selected from vegetable sources, and their effects on PBM shelf life were monitored for 21 days at 4 °C. Results showed that PBM samples treated with both Lactiplantibacillus spp. maintained consistent color properties throughout the cold storage period. Textural analysis revealed that the control samples exhibited the lowest hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness, while LS-treated samples showed the highest values. Both Lactiplantibacillus spp. treated samples had pH values at less than 5, with no statistically significant differences. Volatile organic compounds were not impacted by LAB. LM-treated PBM exhibited higher amino acid content compared to LS and non-LAB-treated samples. Our findings showed that L. plantarum improved the texture and prolonged the shelf life of PBM products at 4 °C for 21 days. Results indicated that L. plantarum could be used as an alternative sustainable green biological preservative agent, serving as a clean label product.