Mixing meats? Study reveals 50% of consumers interested in alternative meat hybrids

09 Feb 2023 --- Meat hybrids containing 30% pea protein are a suitable alternative to pure meat products, according to a paper published in Frontiers in Nutrition. Meat hybrids score better on nutritional aspects. However, a consumer panel states that the taste and texture need to be improved.

Hybrid meat products, which contain both meat and plant proteins, could support the move toward a more sustainable diet by reducing the consumption of meat proteins and increasing plant protein consumption. The paper indicates that inferior sensory quality is a critical barrier for meat substitutes to enter the market.

The paper presents a case study on developing a hybrid meatball from the collective research project MeatHybrid, conducted by the University of Hohenheim, the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL), Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Research Association of the German Food Industry.

Out of six varieties, experts scored meatballs containing 30% pea protein as most comparable to pure meatballs. In a consumer panel, around 50% of consumers indicated a willingness to buy the product. According to the paper, meat hybrids containing 30% pea protein are a good alternative to pure meat. 

What the experts say
The researchers developed hybrid meatballs by replacing 30% meat with pea, sunflower or pumpkin protein. They used two processing methods for the plant proteins, textured vegetable protein and high moisture extrudate, resulting in six meatballs. Experts compared recipes to meatballs containing 100% meat on the market. 

An expert panel selected the hybrid recipe with 30% pea protein as the best across all options, looking at taste, color and texture parameters. This product received an acceptance rate of 80% and was closest to the meat reference. 

Moreover, the hybrid meatballs showed improved nutri-scores compared to products containing 100% meat. The mixed product scored a C, while pure meat products received a D or E score, according to the study. 

The hybrid products’ fat and calorie content were lower, while fiber and vegetables/nuts were higher. The study found that protein content was similar for hybrid and pure meatballs. 

Consumer feedback 
Consumers’ sensory evaluation was relatively good. A panel of 67 consumers compared the 30% pea protein meatball selected by experts with an all-meat recipe on appearance, odor, taste and overall acceptance, scoring them on a scale of one (extraordinarily bad) to nine (extraordinarily good). 

Overall, consumer acceptance of the hybrid meatballs scored 6.7, while the scent scored 7.2 out of nine. The authors note that these scores were higher than 100% plant-based burgers in a comparable sensory study. 

Consumers were also asked to score the hybrid product on color, flavor, meat taste, juiciness and bite firmness. 

According to the study, less than 50% of consumers found bite firmness and meat taste acceptable. The researchers suggest that manufacturers could apply additional flavoring to improve the taste and higher amounts of binders to toughen the products. 

However, future studies are required to determine concrete products consumers are willing to pay for hybrid products. Although about 50% of the consumer sample was relatively optimistic about buying the hybrid product, the study’s authors did not provide a price indication to consumers. 

The authors warn that previous studies indicated that only 20% of consumers would pay more for a meat hybrid product than a 100% meat product, while 37% would be willing to pay more for a pure meat product. In a panel, around 50% of consumers were willing to buy the product.

The need for meat hybrids 
FoodIngredientsFirst previously reported that hybrid meat products could meet the demand for sustainable, healthy nutrition with authentic meat flavors and textures consumers recognize. Consumers often complain that plant-based meat alternatives lack the same juicy taste, texture and flavor as real meat. 

The authors of the paper refer to a previous study where an absence of a meaty taste leads to the rejection of plant-based and hybrid sausages. In contrast, meaty color and moist texture increase these products’ acceptance.

Previous studies found that many consumers like the taste of meat but are not willing to compromise their taste for health. Other studies indicated consumers preferred blended or hybrid meat products to plant-based meat alternatives. 

By Jolanda van Hal