Plant Proteins for Sustainable and Healthy Meat Alternatives

The increasing environmental footprint of industrial livestock farming, including biodiversity loss, pollution, water depletion, and greenhouse gas emissions, has raised global concerns about the long-term sustainability of conventional meat production. Consequently, the development of plant-based meat analogues has emerged as a promising solution for consumers. These analogues are formulated to replicate the texture and other organoleptic properties of conventional meat, while offering the health and nutritional advantages. This review provides a comprehensive overview of plant-derived protein sources, including legumes, cereals, oilseeds, mycoproteins, and other emerging alternatives used in the formulation of meat analogues. Furthermore, this review also studies the physicochemical and nutritional properties, as well as the efficacy of formulation and consumer acceptability. Advanced protein extraction methods such as enzyme-assisted, ultrasound, pulsed electric field (PEF), and both wet and dry fractionation are also discussed in this review, which are crucial for improving protein functionality. Furthermore, this review also highlights the strengths and limitations of various processing techniques, including electrospinning, 3D printing, shear cell technology, extrusion, and others. Understanding these processing technologies is essential and crucial for optimizing the quality of meat analogues, which further enables researchers and professionals to select appropriate methods based on functional outcomes, scalability, and sustainability goals. Overall, this review highlights the potential of meat analogues in supporting healthier and more sustainable dietary goals globally.