The tech roots of new plant-based foods

The next generation of plant-based foods will be defined by a rich texture and high nutritional values. That’s a bold statement, but it comes from category expert Birgit Dekkers. As co-founder of Rival Foods, Dekkers has devoted herself to making this bold vision a reality.

Plant-based meat alternatives are nothing new; vegan burgers and “mock chicken” have filled supermarket shelves for decades. But the industry has moved far from those early meat analogs. The first experiments were created from textured vegetable protein whipped into shape by binders, flavorings, and other additives.

The technique was effective for recreating processed meat types, but consumers demanded more. “TVP products look like and cook like burgers or nuggets,” says Birgit, “But they don’t perform the same in terms of texture and mouthfeel.”

It only takes one bite. As soon as you chew on these products, the TVP and metacellulose turn into a mash, quite unlike animal-derived foods.

The critical difference lies in the structure of the proteins. As more food producers experimented with high-moisture extrusion, they learned to control proteins better. At that point, supermarket shelves started making room for a new type of vegan meat product – plant-based whole cuts. From pulled chicken to thick-cut fillets, manufacturers served foods that felt closer to the meat products they aimed to replace.

Nevertheless, the industry knows it is not yet where it wants to be, and Birgit knows the root of the problem: “The sensory profile of meat is produced by long fibers and their ability to retain moisture.” What meat eaters look for in a cut is long-lasting juiciness that survives the first chew.

As Birgit pointed out, the second generation of plant-based meats was made possible by better use of extrusion technology. But how refined must extruders become to manufacture succulent cuts from beans or drupes?

“It’s not a question of finetuning extrusion equipment anymore but of developing new technology for this particular purpose.” Birgit’s background prepared her perfectly for this next leap. As a Ph.D. researcher at Wageningen University, she worked closely with Prof. Atze Jan van der Groot to investigate the effect of plain shear on microstructures.

The intensive project led to the development of shear cell technology. Birgit calls the cone-and-plate device the ‘evolution of extrusion,’ but really, it is the evolution of protein structuring.

Shear cell differs from standard extrusion processing in two fundamental ways. Firstly, it significantly simplifies flow patterns (which are notoriously complex in extruders). Secondly, traditional extrusion produces texturing during the cooling-off phase.

Since its invention at the end of the 18th century, the extruder has applied pressure to process materials. The Wageningen University device adds heat and shear to pressure, making it more of a structuring technology than an extruder.

Birgit’s research on soy protein produced larger, thicker pieces than typical, but the critical change was the long fiber strands her team managed to form. “Bigger chunks with longer fibers are a complete game changer for plant-based foods,” explains Birgit. The new creations mimic the natural continuous pieces that consumers recognize in meat.

The development of shear cell is so vital to Rival Foods that Birgit thinks of the startup as a tech company in the food industry rather than a food manufacturer per se. “Our mission is to create texture, taste, and juiciness that consumers are familiar with.”

However, technologies demand their own process, and part of the learning journey Birgit and her team went on was to master how to apply shear cell to materials. Rival Foods works mainly with soy, pea, and wheat proteins because they are readily available at an accessible price point. But these ingredients are also easier to mask and turn into palatable offerings.

But if the long strands create texture and the base ingredients produce taste, how does Birgit aim to fulfill the third element of the company’s mission? Water content, she replies, “We meticulously experiment with moisture levels to ensure our products bring the juiciness consumers expect from meat.”

Consumer preferences have come up repeatedly in our conversation, but why do plant-based specialties have to imitate animal-derived products?

Birgit explains that it is a matter of convenience. The average consumer has hundreds of meat recipes, and many cooking ingredients out there are formulated for meat dishes. “Many products in supermarket aisles lead you to eat meat,” Birgit reflects. “So with plant-based alternatives, consumers swap just the meat, not the recipe.”

That substitution extends to the dietary profile too. With its first creations, Rival Foods has been able to reproduce the same nutritional values as chicken. As Birgit says, beneath sensory attributes and ethical considerations, food choices are driven by the need for nourishment. Vegan varieties can match animal products in that department.

For many years, plant-based options looked destined to become niche food for a new generation of eaters. The main stumbling block was the limitations of extrusion. With shear cell technology, Birgit is changing that scenario to create a new generation of food for all eaters.