Digestibility and bioavailability of plant-based proteins intended for use in meat analogues: A review

Plant-based proteins (PBPs) are receiving growing attention globally due to their potential to formulate meat analogues. These products are being created to address the environmental, health, and animal welfare concerns associated with the current meat production system limited. Meat analogues should look, feel, and taste like real meat but they should also have similar or better nutritional profiles. At present, there is a lack of information about the digestibility and bioavailability of PBPs intended for use in meat analogues. This review begins by outlining the most commonly used plant protein sources and manufacturing technologies used to produce meat analogues. It then discusses the impact green processing technologies on the bioavailability and digestibility of PBPs. Previous research has shown that the digestibility and bioavailability of PBPs can be improved by various physical, chemical, and biological approaches, including sonication, microwave, high-pressure processing (HPP), and electric field (EF) technologies, as well as enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. There are challenges to the large-scale commercial implementation of several of these green processing technologies, which researchers are trying to address. Overall, the selection of an appropriate protein source and processing technology can be used to improve the digestibility and bioavailability of PBPs, thereby enhancing the nutritional profile of plant-based meat analogues.