WO2022043059A1

WO2022043059A1 - Meat analogue product

Info

Publication number: WO2022043059A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/072376
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cara Colleen EVANS; Lijuan YE
Original assignee: Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.
Priority date: 2020-08-26
Filing date: 2021-08-11
Publication date: 2022-03-03

Abstract

The present invention relates to a meat analogue product comprising: one or more plant proteins, one or more carbohydrates, and 0.001 wt% to 5 wt% of a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein; wherein the meat analogue product changes its visible color from a reddish appearance to a brownish appearance when heated. The present invention also pertains to a method for manufacturing such a meat analogue product.

Description

Title Meat Analogue Product

The present invention relates to a meat analogue product which changes its visible color from a reddish appearance to a brownish appearance when heated for example from 38 ° C to 100 ° C . The present invention also pertains to a method for manufacturing such a meat analogue product .

Many consumers of meat analogue products are f lexitarians ; they do eat meat but also look for ways to incorporate plantbased proteins in their diet . Frequently, f lexitarians and other people who eat meat analogue products expect that those products perform similarly to the corresponding real meat products , such as for example a beef burger, when it comes to taste , texture , and color appearance before and after cooking . I f consumers purchase such a product , they expect it to look like the corresponding real beef or pork product before cooking, to behave similarly during cooking, and resemble the real meat product again after cooking . One of those characteristics is the color transition of meat products from a reddish or pink appearance when raw, to brownish or browngray upon cooking .

In order to give a red or pink color to an uncooked meat analogue product , frequently colorants are added . This is necessary because plant-based proteins typically range from white to yellow to light brown or tan in color, rather than red . Examples of colorants that are presently added include astaxanthin, powder or j uice from red beets , paprika, turmeric, or fruit- or vegetable- derived colorants as from strawberries , red raspberries , or red cabbage . Some of these , such as astaxanthin or beet-derived materials , are relatively stable upon heating . When beet-derived colorant is added to a meat analogue burger, for example, the inside of the burger remains pink or orange-colored even after cooking to 165°F (74 °C) in a pan. Some consumers interpret this color as a sign that the product is still raw or not fully cooked and continue cooking the product for a longer time or to higher temperatures, sometimes even to the point of burning the product. The burger patty could then become tough or dry, which the consumer might not like. It would therefore be preferable to make meat analogue products that turn from red or pink to brown at the temperature of proper cooking, similarly as what is happening with real meat burger patties.

Other red colorants, such as e.g. those derived from strawberries or red raspberries or red cabbage, are anthocyanins. The color stability of anthocyanins is sensitive to pH; in general, they are red at lower pH and violet or blue at higher pH. In the pH range of most meat analogue products, which varies from 4.5 to 6.5, anthocyanins tend to be blue and unstable. For this reason and also because anthocyanins can impart an unexpected fruity or sweet taste, they are not commonly used in meat analogue products.

Alternatively, US 9,808,029 B2 describes the use of a hemecontaining protein as a colorant for providing a color transition from red to brown of a meat analogue product upon cooking. Such non-animal heme-containing proteins are available in different plants and algae, however, only in minute quantities and therefore cannot be readily used for industrial application. In order to achieve sufficient quantities of such heme-containing proteins for use on an industrial scale, they have to be produced from genetically engineered micro-organisms as for example yeast cells. Today's consumers, however, are still very skeptical laboratory born food ingredients produced by genetically engineered microorganisms and may rej ect such products for ethical , religious or other reasons .

Hence , there is a still a clear and persisting need in the art and industry to find alternative or better solutions to the problems of coloring meat analogue products as raised above .

Summary of the invention

The obj ect of the present invention is to improve the state of the art , and to provide an alternative and/or improved solution for coloring meat analogue products in such a way as to best resemble real meat products when it comes to the apparent color trans formation of such meat analogue products when heated from raw to cooked . A further obj ect of the present invention is to provide such an alternative and/or improved coloring solution which is natural , which is not produced synthetically and which is not produced by genetic engineering .

The obj ect of the present invention is achieved by the subj ect matter of the independent claims . The dependent claims further develop the idea of the present invention .

Accordingly, the present invention provides in a first aspect a meat analogue product comprising :

- one or more plant proteins ;

- one or more carbohydrates ;

- 0 . 001 wt% to 5 wt% of a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein; wherein the meat analogue product changes its visible color from a reddish appearance to a brownish appearance when heated from a temperature of 38 ° C to a temperature of 100 ° C . In a second aspect , the invention pertains to a method for manufacturing a meat analogue product , wherein the meat analogue product comprises one or more plant proteins and one or more carbohydrates , the method comprising a step of adding a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein in an amount of 0 . 001 wt% to 5 wt% to the meat analogue product , resulting in the meat analogue product where the visible color of said meat analogue product changes from a reddish appearance to a brownish appearance when heated from a temperature of 38 ° C to a temperature of 100 ° C .

It has been surprisingly found by the inventors , that when incorporating a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein in appropriate amounts into the composition of a meat analogue product , one can obtain a reddish- or pinkish-like looking product when raw, and which readily changes its color to brown or grey-brown when heated for example in a pan to temperatures approaching 100 ° C, preferably 75 ° C . Hence , when heated in a regular cooking step, the meat analogue product changes its color appearance in the same way as a corresponding real meat product . The consumer has now the same cooking experience with this meat analogue product as with a real meat product : he perceives the cooking as a process of product trans formation from raw to cooked, and is now in a position to correctly monitor the cooking process by observing the color trans formation of the meat analogue product .

This color change is not reversible . Hence , once the meat analogue product has changed its color to brown or gray-brown upon the cooking process , it will maintain this color even when cooled or refrigerated after that cooking process . Also here , the cooked meat analogue product comprising the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein behaves in the same way as a cooked real meat product .

The inventors have further observed that the reddish color provided by the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein in the raw product is optimal , depending on the selection of plant proteins and the intended use for mimicking a beef , a pork, a chicken or a fish meat analogue product , from 0 . 001 wt% to 5 wt% phycoerythrobilin-containing protein per total mass of meat analogue product . As to the lower level of amounts for the present application, the inventors found that the color of the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein in such products is barely discernible at a final concentration of 0 . 0002 wt% , but already clearly discernible and useable at concentrations of 0 . 001 wt% and above . As to the upper level of use of phycoerythrobilin-containing proteins in meat analogue products , there is no functional limit as to the coloring and color trans formation ef fect . The limit is rather provided by the cost of the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein as a food ingredient , and the impact on taste and texture to the final product .

Furthermore , the inventors have observed that the presence of carbohydrates can have a synergistic ef fect when combined with the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein, when it comes to trans forming the color from reddish to brownish upon heating the meat analogue product . It was observed that when carbohydrates such as for example sugars or malt are present in the product together with the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein, the color transition to a brownish, more real-meat authentic color appearance , as for example a beef meat , can be pronounced and improved . Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 : Visible absorption spectra of R-phycoerythrin in a buffer solution at pH 5.9, incubated for 45 minutes at temperatures of 38°C, 48°C, 64°C, 73°C and 84°C. The vertical axis is absorbance and the horizontal axis is wavelength (nm) . Figure 2 : Visible absorption spectra of a filtrate obtained using Rhodomonas salina in buffer at pH 5.9, incubated for 45 minutes at temperatures of 38°C, 48°C, 64°C, 73°C and 84°C. The vertical axis is absorbance and the horizontal axis is wavelength (nm) .

Figure 3: Meat analogue burger containing soy protein, malt, Rustic Brown, and a filtered extract of algae. Left: raw burger. Middle: Burger after cooking to 165°F (74 °C) by frying in a pan. Right: cross section of cooked burger cut in half.

Figure 4 : Meat analogue burger containing soy protein and no colorants. Left: raw burger. Middle and right: Burger after cooking to 165° F (74 °C) by frying in a pan. The right image shows the cross section after the burger was cut in half. Figure 5: Comparison of the cross sections of a well-cooked meat analogue burger prepared with using a filtered Rhodomonas salina alga extract (left) ; with a well-cooked meat analogue burger prepared using beetroot and carrot extract as colorant (right) .

Figure 6: Meat analogue burgers prepared using Gracilaria and its aqueous extract that are raw (left) and cooked (right) . The right image shows the cross section after the burger was cut in half.

Figure 7 : Meat analogue burgers prepared using an extract from Gracilaria that are raw (left) and cooked (right) . The right image shows the cross section after the burger was cut in half. Detailed Description of the invention

The present invention pertains to a meat analogue product comprising : one or more plant proteins ; one or more carbohydrates ;

0 . 001 wt% to 5 wt% of a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein; wherein the meat analogue product changes its visible color from a reddish appearance to a brownish appearance when heated from a temperature of 38 ° C to a temperature of 100 ° C .

"Meat analogue product" , sometimes also called meat alternative , meat substitute , mock meat , fake meat , faux meat , imitation meat , vegan meat , or vegetarian meat , refers herein to a food product , exclusively made from vegetarian or vegan ingredients , and which has qualities as to appearance , taste , flavor, and texture as the corresponding real meat product .

Preferably, the "Meat analogue product" of the present invention is raw, meaning that the product was not cooked during its process of manufacture . The term "raw" for the present invention means 'un-cooked' .

"Phycoerythrobilin-containing protein" refers herein to Phycoerythrin and Phycoerythrocyanin which each contain at least one phycoerythrobilin .

The "visible color" of the meat analogue product refers herein to the color appearance easily visible and discernible by a consumer by eye . It refers to the color of the visible surface of the meat analogue product as well as to the visible interior part of a formed meat analogue product , such as a patty, burger or sausage , when broken or cut apart . "Reddish appearance" relates to a color appearance varying within the color spectrum from red to pink. It relates to the color appearance of raw meat which still contains some blood or blood constituents, such as for example raw beef, raw pork, raw chicken or raw tuna fish meat.

The degree of red can be described by the parameter a* in CIELAB (L*a*b*) color space; greater values of a* indicate more red. A difference in a* of 0.4 - 0.7 is generally a threshold above which color differences are noticeable, and of > 5.0 for large color differences. CIELAB or L*a*b* is a color space defined by the International Commission on Illumination (abbreviated CIE) in 1976 (see, e.g., CIE Technical Report Colorimetry 15 third edition (2004 ) .

"Brownish appearance" relates to a color appearance varying within the color spectrum from brown to gray. It relates to the color appearance of cooked meat such as for example beef, pork, chicken or tuna fish meat after cooking.

"Heating" of the meat analogue product can be performed in a cooking pan, in an oven, on a grill, on a heating plate or under infrared illumination, for example.

Preferably, the present invention pertains to a meat analogue product comprising: one or more plant proteins; one or more carbohydrates; 0.001 wt% to 5 wt% of a phycoerythrobilincontaining protein; wherein the meat analogue product changes its visible color from a reddish appearance to a brownish appearance when heated from a temperature of 48 °C to a temperature of 84°C. In a preferred embodiment, the meat analogue product of the present invention comprises 0.005 wt% to 2 wt% of a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein, preferably from 0.01 wt% to 1 wt% of a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein, and more preferably from 0.02 wt% to 0.1 wt% or 0.5 wt% of a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein. "wt%" refers to the percentage in weight of the total meat analogue product.

In one preferred embodiment, the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein present in the meat analogue product of the present invention is a phycoerythrin.

The phycoerythrobilin-containing protein can be obtained from different sources, such as from natural biological sources or through genetic engineering. In one preferred embodiment, the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein present in the meat analogue product of the present invention is obtained from an alga or a cyanobacterium. Preferably, the alga is a cryptomonad, and even more preferably, the cryptomonad is Rhodomonas salina.

The meat analogue product of the present invention comprises one or more carbohydrates. Preferably, the one or more carbohydrates are selected from monosaccharides and/or disaccharides. In one preferred embodiment, the one or more carbohydrates are selected from the group consisting of glucose, ribose, fructose, lactose, xylose, arabinose, maltose, galactose, and a combination thereof.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the meat analogue product of the present invention further comprises one or more flavorings. Preferably, the one or more flavorings are selected from the group consisting of kitchen salt, glutamate, inosine monophosphate , adenosine monophosphate , guanosine monophosphate , and a combination thereof .

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the meat analogue product of the present invention further comprises one or more lipids . Preferably, the one or more lipids are selected from the group consisting of vegetable oil , algal oil , sunflower oil , corn oil , soybean oil , palm oil , saf flower oil , flaxseed oil , olive oil , coconut oil , cottonseed oil , and a combination thereof .

The meat analogue product of the present invention comprises one or more plant proteins . In a preferred embodiment , the one or more plant proteins are textured plant proteins .

"Textured plant protein" , cited in the art also as ' texturi zed plant ' or ' texturi zed vegetable protein' , refers herein to a defatted plant protein flour, such as for example defatted soy flour, which is processed, e . g . by extrusion, into chunks or flakes .

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the one or more plant proteins of the meat analogue product of the present invention, are selected from the group consisting of soybean protein, wheat gluten protein, pea protein, lentil protein, lupin bean protein, green bean protein, chickpea protein, canola protein, black bean protein, red bean protein, fava bean proteins , or a combination thereof .

In one further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the one or more plant proteins of the meat analogue product of the present invention, are textured plant proteins , wherein the plant proteins are selected from the group consisting of soybean protein, wheat gluten protein, pea protein, lentil protein, lupin bean protein, green bean protein, chickpea protein, canola protein, black bean protein, red bean protein, fava bean proteins , and a combination thereof ; preferably selected from the group consisting of soybean protein, wheat gluten protein, pea protein or a combination thereof .

Preferably, the meat analogue product of the present invention contains no animal produce . Such an animal produce refers to a substance which is directly obtained from an animal . Such an animal produce can e . g . be an animal protein, an animal fat , an animal blood, an animal gelatin, where the animal typically is a beef , a pork, a lamb, a chicken, a fish .

In one embodiment of the present invention, the meat analogue product according to the present invention, is a meat-like burger, a meat-like ball , a meat-like sausage or a minced meat-like analogue .

In a further aspect , the present invention pertains to a method for manufacturing a meat analogue product , wherein the meat analogue product comprises one or more plant proteins and one or more carbohydrates , the method comprising a step of adding a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein in an amount of 0 . 001 wt% to 5 wt% to the meat analogue product , resulting in the meat analogue product where the visible color of said meat analogue product changes from a reddish appearance to a brownish appearance when heated from a temperature of 38 ° C to a temperature of 100 ° C, preferably from a temperature of 48 ° C to a temperature of 84 ° C, preferably when heated from a temperature of 60 ° C to a temperature of 84 ° C . In one embodiment of the method of the present invention, the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein is added in the form of an alga, cyanobacterium, or an extract of an alga or cyanobacterium . Preferably, the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein is added in the form of a Rhodomonas salina alga or in the form of an extract from a Rhodomonas salina alga .

Those skilled in the art will understand that they can freely combine all features of the present invention disclosed herein . In particular, features described for the meat analogue product of the present invention can be combined with the method of the present invention and vice versa . Further, features described for di f ferent embodiments of the present invention may be combined . Further advantages and features of the present invention are apparent from the figures and examples .

Example 1 . Solution of R- Phycoerythrin

R-phycoerythrin from Sigma-Aldrich was dissolved at a concentration of 35 pg/mL in 200 mM sodium phosphate buf fer at pH 5 . 9 and ambient temperature . The temperature was measured, and the visible absorption spectrum was recorded . The solution was heated in the dark in a water bath set at 35 ° C for 45 minutes , then the temperature of the sample in a cuvet was measured . The sample was then removed from the water bath to record the visible spectrum . The temperature of the water bath was then increased by 10 ° C, and the sample was placed in the water bath in the dark for 45 more minutes . This was repeated several times , each time heating the sample at a higher temperature than before for 45 minutes . The maximum temperature of the sample was 84 ° C, then the solution was allowed to cool to 25 ° C, then cooled further to 9 ° C overnight in the dark . The resulting visible spectra are shown in figure 1. The absorbance in the green region of the spectrum and the red/pink color of the solution become much less pronounced above 58°C, and especially above 64°C. Furthermore, this change is not reversible; the pink color does not return when the sample is cooled after heating first to 25°C, then to 9°C overnight .

The R-phycoerythrin solution before the heating experiment can be added to a meat analogue product made from plant-based proteins in a concentration of 0.001 wt% or above to provide a red-pinkish color to the product, which then disappears upon heating. If the meat analogue product is cooked at a temperature of above 84 °C, and then chilled overnight by the consumer by for example putting it into a refrigerator, the product will remain with the cooked color and will not return back to a pinkish red color again.

Example 2. Solution of algae

1.5 mg of a dried biomass of Rhodomonas salina was added to

2.5 mL of 200 mM sodium phosphate buffer at pH 5.9 and ambient temperature. Appropriate Rhodomonas salina algae can be obtained from the Roscoff Culture Collection (France) , the Culture Collection of Algae UTEX (University of Texas, USA) , or the National Center for Marine Algae Bigelow (Maine, USA) . Any undissolved particles were filtered from the solution using a 0.45 pm syringe filter, then the temperature of the filtrate was measured, and the visible absorption spectrum was recorded. The solution was heated in the dark in a water bath set at 40°C for 45 minutes, then the temperature of the sample placed in a cuvet was measured. The sample was then removed from the water bath to record the visible spectrum. The temperature of the water bath was increased by at least 10°C, and the sample was placed in the water bath in the dark for 45 more minutes. This was repeated several times, each time heating the sample at a higher temperature than before for 45 minutes. The maximum temperature of the sample was 84 °C, then the solution was allowed to cool to 25°C, then cooled further to 9°C overnight in the dark.

The resulting visible spectra are shown in figure 2. The absorbance in the green region of the spectrum and the red- pink color of the solution become much less pronounced above 48°C, and especially above 64°C. Furthermore, this change is not reversible; the pink color does not return when the sample is cooled after heating first to 25°C, and then to 9°C overnight .

An alga extract solution such as this before heating can be added in appropriate amounts to a plant-based meat analogue product to provide a reddish color to the meat analogue product, which disappears upon heating. If the meat analogue product is cooked and then chilled overnight by a consumer, the product will remain with a cooked brownish color and will not turn back to a reddish pink color.

Example 3. Meat analogue burgers with microalgae

Meat analogue burgers containing algae and a carbohydrate were prepared in the following way: 50 g soy protein was hydrated with a slurry containing 100 g water, 7 g vinegar, 0.6 g malt, 1 g Rustic Brown (from GNT International) , 1.3 g salt, 4 g flavors, and 1 g of dried Rhodomonas salina biomass which comprises at least 0.07 g phycoerythrin. According to the product specification, Rustic Brown contains 45 wt% carbohydrate, of which 30% is sugars. The slurry was added to the hydrated soy protein, the mixture was stirred, and then vacuum was applied to assist in the hydration of the protein. To this was added 50 g water, 20 g canola oil, and 3.5 g methylcellulose, which was mixed in using a food processor. Finally, 4 g coconut fat was stirred in, and the mixture was shaped into burgers. Prepared in this way, the burgers contained 0.03 wt% phycoerythrin. A non-stick pan coated with a spray of cooking oil was used to fry the burgers over medium heat to an internal temperature of 165°F (74 °C) . The color of the burgers changed from a pink brown hue before cooking to brown after cooking.

Example 4. Meat analogue burgers with filtered microalgae Meat analogue burgers were prepared in the following way: 25 g water and 7 g vinegar were mixed, then added to 1 g of dried Rhodomonas salina biomass. This was allowed to sit at ambient temperature for 10 minutes in order to extract phycoerythrin, then filtered through a 0.45 pm syringe filter. The filtrate was then mixed with 75 g water, 0.6 g malt, 1 g Rustic Brown (from GNT International) , 1.3 g salt, and 4 g flavors. This slurry was added to 50 g soy protein, the mixture was stirred, and then vacuum was applied to assist in the hydration of the protein. To this was added 50 g water, 20 g canola oil, and 3.5 g methylcellulose, which was mixed in using a food processor. Finally, 4 g coconut fat was stirred in, and the mixture was shaped into burgers. A non-stick pan coated with a spray of cooking oil was used to fry the burgers over medium heat to an internal temperature of 165°F (74 °C) . During the cooking process, a color change from the surface in contact with the pan throughout the burger became evident. In contrast, samples prepared using a beetroot juice based red colorant did not change in this gradient fashion during cooking . Figure 3 on the left shows the burger comprising the filtered algae extract before cooking, with a pink reddish hue . After cooking the pink color was no longer visible and the color became a shade of brown (middle and right image of Figure 3 ) .

For comparison, meat analogue burgers were prepared in exactly the same way as the burger containing filtered algal extract described above , but with either not adding any colorant ( also no algal extract ) , or with replacing the algae extract with a combination of beetroot and carrot extract providing a similar coloring ef fect as the algal extract to the burger when raw . A non-stick pan coated with a spray of cooking oil was used to fry the burgers over medium heat to a burger internal temperature of 165 ° F ( 74 ° C ) .

Figure 4 shows the burger which has no colorants at all before and after the cooking step . The burger was neither pink when raw nor nicely brown or gray when cooked when no colorants were used .

Figure 5 shows the cross sections of a direct comparison between a cooked meat analogue burger comprising the filtered Rhodomonas salina alga extract and a corresponding burger, colored in the same way with a combination of a beetroot and carrot extract . The burger containing the beetroot-carrot based extract remained to a considerable extent pink when cooked . A consumer may consider this comparative burger as still not completely well cooked, although it is . On the contrary, the burger with the algal extract became fully brown and clearly indicates its well-cooked state to a consumer . Images of the burgers were taken using Dgs illumination and diffuse light using a DigiEye (VeriVide) . CIELAB values were determined from the images. The degree of color change from pink when raw to brown (less pink) upon full cooking can be characterized by the a* parameter of CIELAB color space. The burger colored with beetroot extract had a* parameters of 14.2 when raw and 14.8 when cooked (a* value of the cooked cross section) . In comparison, the burger prepared using the algae extract had a* of 20.7 when raw and 12.9 when cooked. Thus, Aa* from raw to cooked was 0.6 (became slightly more red upon cooking) for the beet juice colored burger, but -7.8 (became visibly less red upon cooking) for the burger colored with algae extract.

Example 5. Meat analogue burgers with macroalgae.

5 g dried Gracilaria seaweed from Seakura was mixed with 100 g water. The sample was frozen at -20 °C for at least 4 hours, then thawed in lukewarm water. Three freeze - thaw cycles were done in this way.

This preparation was added to 4 g flavors, 7 g vinegar, and 1.3 g salt. The mixture was added to 50 g soy protein, and then vacuum was applied to assist in the hydration of the protein. To the hydrated protein was added 50 g water, 20 g canola oil, and 3.5 g methylcellulose, which was mixed in using a food processor. Finally, 4 g coconut fat was stirred in, and the mixture was shaped into burgers.

A non-stick pan coated with a spray of cooking oil was used to fry the burgers over medium heat to an internal temperature of 165°F (74 °C) . The color of the burgers changed from a pink brown hue before cooking to brown after cooking. Figure 6 shows a burger prepared in this way, before and after cooking. The cooked burger was cut in half to show the cross section .

Example 6. Meat analogue burgers with macroalgae extract.

0.96 g dried Gracilaria seaweed from Seakura was mixed with 25 g water. The sample was frozen at -20 °C for at least 4 hours, then thawed in lukewarm water. Three freeze - thaw cycles were done in this way. The sample was homogenized, then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes. The supernatant was withdrawn. 20 g more water was added to the pellet, the pellet was resuspended, and centrifuged again at 4000 rpm for 30 minutes. Enough of the second supernatant was added to the first supernatant to make 25 g of extract.

This extract was added to 75 g water, 4 g flavors, 7 g vinegar, and 1.3 g salt. The mixture was added to 50 g soy protein, and then vacuum was applied to assist in the hydration of the protein. To this was added 50 g water, 20 g canola oil, and 3.5 g methylcellulose, which was mixed in using a food processor. Finally, 4 g coconut fat was stirred in, and the mixture was shaped into burgers.

A non-stick pan coated with a spray of cooking oil was used to fry the burgers over medium heat to an internal temperature of 165°F (74 °C) . The color of the burgers changed from a pink brown hue before cooking to brown after cooking.

Figure 7 shows a burger prepared in this way, before and after cooking. The cooked burger was cut in half to show the cross section .

Claims

1. A meat analogue product comprising: one or more plant proteins; one or more carbohydrates;

0.001 wt% to 5 wt% of a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein; wherein the meat analogue product changes its visible color from a reddish appearance to a brownish appearance when heated from a temperature of 38 °C to a temperature of 100°C, preferably from a temperature of 48°C to a temperature of 84°C.

2. The meat analogue product according to claim 1, comprising 0.005 wt% to 2 wt% of a phycoerythrobilincontaining protein, preferably from 0.01 wt% to 1 wt% of a phycoerythrobilin-containing protein.

3. The meat analogue product according to one of the above claims, wherein the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein is a phycoerythrin.

4. The meat analogue product according to one of the above claims, wherein the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein is obtained from an alga or a cyanobacterium.

5. The meat analogue product according to claim 4, wherein the alga is a selected from Rhodomonas salina or Gracilaria or a combination therof.

6. The meat analogue product according to one of the above claims, wherein the carbohydrates are selected from the group consisting of glucose, ribose, fructose, lactose, xylose, arabinose, maltose, galactose, or a combination thereof .

7. The meat analogue product according to one of the above claims, further comprising one or more flavorings selected from the group consisting of kitchen salt, glutamate, inosine monophosphate, adenosine monophosphate, guanosine monophosphate, or a combination thereof .

8. The meat analogue product according to one of the above claims, further comprising one or more lipids selected from the group consisting of vegetable oil, algal oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, palm oil, safflower oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, or a combination thereof.

9. The meat analogue product according to one of the above claims, wherein the plant proteins are textured plant proteins .

10. The meat analogue product according to one of the above claims, wherein the plant proteins are selected from the group consisting of soybean protein, wheat gluten protein, pea protein, chickpea protein, canola protein, lentil protein, lupin bean protein, green bean protein, black bean protein, red bean protein, fava bean proteins, or a combination thereof.

11. The meat analogue product according to one of the above claims, wherein said meat analogue product contains no animal produce.

12 . The meat analogue product according to one of the above claims , which is a meat-like burger, a meat-like ball , a meat-like sausage or a minced meat-like analogue .

13 . A method for manufacturing a meat analogue product , wherein the meat analogue product comprises one or more plant proteins and one or more carbohydrates , the method comprising a step of adding a phycoerythrobilincontaining protein in an amount of 0 . 001 wt% to 5 wt% to the meat analogue product , resulting in the meat analogue product where the visible color of said meat analogue product changes from a reddish appearance to a brownish appearance when heated from a temperature of 38 ° C to a temperature of 100 ° C .

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein is added in the form of an alga, cyanobacterium, or an extract of an alga or cyanobacterium .

15 . The method according to claims 13 to 14 , wherein the phycoerythrobilin-containing protein is added in the form of a Rhodomonas salina alga or in the form of an extract from a Rhodomonas salina alga, or in the form of a Gracilaria alga or in the form of an extract from a Gracilaria alga or a combination thereof .