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l What is soy dietary fiber?
l What are the soy dietary fiber used for
l What are the health effects of soy dietary fiber
soybean dietary fiberary mainly refers to the general term for macromolecular carbohydrates that cannot be digested by human digestive enzymes, mainly including cellulose, pectin, xylan, mannose, etc. Although dietary fiber cannot provide any nutrients to the human body, it has important physiological functions for the human body. Dietary fiber has the functions of significantly reducing plasma cholesterol, regulating gastrointestinal function and insulin level.
The biological activity of soybean dietary fiberary, regulating blood lipids, lowering cholesterol, soybean dietary fiberary has the ability to bind and exchange cations, and can exchange ca2+, pa2+, etc. During ion exchange, the instantaneous concentration of cations is changed, which plays a role in dilution, so it affects the pH value, osmotic pressure and redox site of the digestive tract, forming an ideal buffer environment. More importantly, it can exchange with NA+ in the intestinal tract, prompting a large amount of K+ and NA+ to be eliminated from the urine and feces, thereby reducing the NA+/K+ value in the blood and directly reducing blood pressure. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, heart disease and arteriosclerosis is closely related to the excretion of cholesterol and bile acid and dietary fiber. The water-soluble dietary fiber in soybean fiber has the effect of significantly reducing blood cholesterol concentration.
SPI can inhibit and regulate the increase of insulin and blood sugar levels in patients with impaired glucose tolerance. It can promote the absorption of water in the gastrointestinal tract of the human body, delay the absorption of glucose, and at the same time make people feel full, which is beneficial for diabetic and obese patients to eat. It can improve the function of the large intestine.
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With the deepening of people's understanding of healthy food, Soy Protein Isolate is more and more popular. What are some examples of SPI applications in the food industry? What are the advantages of Soy Protein Isolate?
l What is Soy Protein Isolate?
l Application of Soy Protein Isolate in Meat Products
l Application of Soy Protein Isolate in Baked Food
Soybean protein isolate is a full-value protein food additive produced from low-temperature desolubilized soybean meal.Soy Protein Isolate is an important vegetable protein product, which is rich in nutrients and does not contain cholesterol. One of the varieties of protein, it has been widely used in food and other industries, and its protein content is as high as 90%. The digestibility and utilization rate can reach 93% to 97%. Soybean protein isolate contains 8 kinds of essential amino acids and some amino acids exceed the standard recommended by F A O /WHO. It is mainly composed of 11S and 7S globulin, and the protein composition is essential Eight kinds of amino acids are relatively balanced, especially lysine content is the highest.
At the same time, SPI also contains a lot of essential fatty acids, phospholipids, and minerals such as calcium and phosphorus that are beneficial to human health, and does not contain cholesterol. Its efficacy ratio is higher than that of meat. When mixed with other foods, it can significantly improve the nutritional value of the original food.
1. Minced meat products belong to the general public meat products, and the use of Soy Protein Isolate is small. For minced meat products such as meat patties, minced meatballs, dumplings and steamed buns, they are usually processed by roasting, frying, steaming and boiling. The processing temperature is high. It has good oil absorption properties.
2. Soy Protein Isolate can be used as an additive to improve product texture (reduce free fat). It can not only produce meat-like taste, but also enhance water holding capacity, reduce pie cooking shrinkage, improve yield, and reduce costs. At the same time, it can improve the nutritional value of the product.
When producing bread, adding no more than 5% Soy Protein Isolate can increase the volume of bread, improve the color of the skin, and have obvious effects on the sensory quality and nutritional value of bread (for example, it can make bread products The protein content increases, the volume increases, the texture is soft, the flavor is good, and the nutritional supplementation effect is obvious), and the shelf life of the product can also be extended; but if the amount of Soybean protein isolate added is too large (8%-12%), it will affect The tissue state and sensory quality of the bread will reduce the volume of the bread, thicken the skin, deepen the color, and harden the texture, and the effect is not good. Therefore, when using, the amount of Soybean protein isolate should be paid attention to.
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It is known that hydrolyzed wheat protein is good for the body, but what exactly does it do? What are the advantages of Wheat Protein Isolates? Why is hydrolyzed wheat protein good for health?
l What is hydrolyzed wheat protein
l What is the function of hydrolyzed wheat protein
l What are the characteristics of hydrolyzed wheat protein
What is hydrolyzed wheat protein
1. Wheat contains about 13% protein, mainly composed of albumin, globulin, gliadin and glutenin, while wheat gluten mainly contains gliadin and gluten. Protein, collectively known as storage protein (80% of the dry basis of wheat protein).
2. Due to the ductility of gliadin and the elasticity of glutenin, it can form a network structure with water, so it has excellent viscoelasticity, extensibility, water absorption, liposuction and emulsification, film forming properties, and light and mellow aroma or slightly grainy unique physical properties such as taste.
What is the function of hydrolyzed wheat protein
wheat proteins can be divided into monomeric proteins (consisting of one peptide chain) and aggregated proteins (consisting of two or more peptide chains) according to the number of peptide chains constituting the protein. About 85% of the aggregate protein is glutenin, and the monomeric protein is mainly composed of gliadin, albumin and globulin. Albumin and globulin are mainly deposited in the embryo and aleurone layer, and a small part exists in the endosperm, with a molecular mass of 12-60 kDa, containing more lysine, tryptophan and methionine, which are the most important components in the cell. The enzyme protein is involved in various metabolisms, and the nutritional balance is better, which determines the nutritional quality of wheat.
What are the characteristics of hydrolyzed wheat protein
1. The relative molecular mass of wheat gliadin is 27000-28000. It is a kind of polymer with the highest solubility in 60%-70% ethanol, but insoluble in absolute ethanol. It is slightly soluble in water, can be dissolved in dilute formic acid, propionic acid, benzene, alcohol, p-toluene glacial acetic acid solution, also can be dissolved in weak acid and weak base solution, its isoelectric point is 6.41~7.1. The amino acid composition of wheat gliadin is quite complete, in which the content of glutamic acid is as high as 38.87%, so wheat gluten is often used to prepare MSG.
2. Glutenin is insoluble in water and alcohol, and it is difficult to separate when combined with gliadin. It is slightly soluble in hot ethanol, but after cooling, it becomes flocculent and precipitates. Only newly prepared glutenin that has not been dried is very easy to dissolve. In weak bases and weak acids, and precipitate out during neutralization. Wheat albumin is 0.3% to 0.4% of the mass of the grain, and its isoelectric point is 4.5 to 4.6.
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We pursue an extreme perfection.
It is not only an idea, but also an attitude.
We pay attention to every detail, take cyclic development as the core, and devote ourselves to providing more valuable green agricultural products for global customers.
XINRUI -- China's high-quality wheat protein / soybean protein production base
Professionalism is a spirit.
Adhering to professionalism, we have successfully developed a series of intensive processing products concerning wheat and soybeans whicha dapt to the needs of global customers. With a total asset of RMB 1.7 billion, integrating base planting, scientific and technological R & D, agricultural product processing and import & export trade, the Company is China's first-class integrated supplier of modernized agricultural products.
Concentration is a belief.
We have established an integrated control system regarding product R & D, supply chain management, service support and marketing, and realized the whole industry chain operation including planting, terminal products and after-sales services, with excellent quality.
Our core products, including wheat flour, wheat starch, wheat gluten, alcohol, high protein feed,Non-GMO soybean oil, soy protein isolate and soy dietary fiber, are exported to more than 40 countries and regions.
We have been advocating green agriculturalcircular economy, and have made independent innovations on two circular economic industry chains.
With wheat as the raw material, our 300kt/a intensive processing wheat industry chain successively extracts a series of flour, i.e., special fine steamed bread flour, flour for dumplings, individualized nutrition powder, acid baking powder. Then, wheat gluten, wheat starch A, starch B and pentosan will be extracted and transformed into special-grade and superior alcohol products and feed. With internationally advanced manufacturing technology, we have achieved fully-enclosed clean production, and reached China's advanced level in terms of scale, equipment, technology and product quality.
With Non-GMO soybeans as the raw material, our 180kt/a integrated intensive processing soybean industry chain successively extracts soybean oil, low-temperature food-grade soybean meal, protein isolate, dietary fiber, etc. For manufacturing technology, the single line capacity of core equipment exceeds 12,500t, leading the industry.
After high protein feed is extracted from industrial wastewater, biogas can be extracted by fermentation, and form abiogas power generation supply chain. The produced sludge and production waste will become organic fertilizer processing materials, and be restored into the Company's planting base, thereby, achieving the recycling of exhaust gas, wastewater and waste materials, and forming a fully circular economic industry mode: base planting -- intensive process -- liquid cultivation -- biogas power generation -- water resource reuse -- organic fertilizer processing -- basesoil remediation.
Sticking to innovation, we have achieved dozens of scientific research results, passed ISO9001, ISO22000, HACCP certification, HALAL certification, KOSHER certification, IP Non-GMO certification, as well as BRC Global Standard for Food Safety certification, and have been highly recognized by global customers.
Extreme perfection is an attitude.
We seek whole process quality management, and select the best-quality raw materials. Both raw materials and products must undergo the strictest tests so as to guarantee quality.
With the idea of great services, we have established strategic cooperation with numerous first-class customers. In China, Russia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North America, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc., we can provide more valuable products and all-round after-sales services for more and more customers.
Today, we are actively building a chain-based circular economic system, which integrates characteristic wheat, Non-GMO soybean planting, intensive processing of agricultural products and "Internet + marketing" engineering and is characterized by the integration of three industries, focusing on customer demands to create value for them, and striving to be a world-class supplier of wheat and soybean health products, with safety, environmental protection, energy conservation and efficiency.
XINRUI allows you to achieve extreme prosperity and enjoy life!
Isolated soy protein is a complete, high-quality, plant-based protein.It is a great solution for meat replacement without compromising quality, nutrition and functionality. Also it is cholesteral-free, low in saturated fat and carbohydrates, which makes it very attractive to health- conscious cousumers. Soy protein now are widely used in meat products such as hot dog, sausages, ham and fish products.
Application: high-temperature meat products, such as hot dog, sausages, ham, meat balls, meat paddies, fish balls, etc.
Characteristics:
- Good water preserving capability to preserve water and gravy of meat products, keep the taste and flavor of meat products; enhance water absorption of baked food, hold water of food, reduce shrinkage and prolong its freshness period.
- Good gel agglutinative property to hold water, flavor and sugar of food by gel texture of protein; give products better elasticity, improve texture and sliceability of products.
- Good emulsification to accelerate the forming of oil-water emulsion, prevent oil droplets from separating, stabilize the emulsion. This can increase the yields of products, reduce costs, and make the preserving capability of water and oil 1:5:5(1 unit of protein can absorb 5 unit of water and 5 unit of oil or fat).
- Good liquidity, high viscosity etc.
Packing: 20kg/bag, Paper-plastic bag with lining
Storage:
- prevent goods from rain and humidity during transportation and storage, forbidden to pack or store with other odorants.
- best temperature for storage is below 25Celsius, keep ventilation and dryness.
- shelf life is 12 months.
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With lifestyle changes in recent years, the number of prepared meat products is quietly increasing, ranging from a variety of semi-prepared chicken nuggets, seasoned meat steaks and barbecue products to convenience store staples such as kebab and bento. Through the retail end, prepared meat products are increasingly infiltrating the domestic consumption of the Chinese public, well is gradually becoming a consumer popular. In regulate the development of meat products, soybean protein is a kind of commonly used additives, not only can complement necessary hydrogen acids necessary for human, and mesh has good features such as foaming, emulsification and gel, so it can obviously improve the food's taste, increase elasticity, oily food and water retention, improve the storage performance of food, etc., can reduce the production cost at the same time, In regulate meat processing has the important role
Soy Flour
Soybean flour mostly "defatted soybean" trends, because of its protein content is low, so the price is straight, used in meat products, can keep 2 times their own weight of water and flour emulsify material can keep the same weight of cerebral fat class material during hot working out oil, soy meal less functional, There are many shortcomings in taste and flavor, and many restrictions on the range and usage.
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Concentrate’s protein content of about 70%, most used in meat products. Soybean concentrated heavy force since the emulsifying gel proportion is protein: water: fat = 1:4:3, It can improve the taste and structure,to improve protein content of meat products.
Isolated Soy Protein
Soy Protein Isolate is a kind of protein produced from low temperature desoluble soybean flour. The protein content is more than 90%, and there are nearly 20 kinds of amino acids, including essential amino acids for human body. It is rich in nutrition and does not contain cholesterol. It is widely used in prepared meat products.
Textured Soy Protein
Textured Soy Protein is made of defatted soya powder, soy protein concentrate or soybean protein isolate as raw materials by mechanical and heat action such as mixing, extrusion and chemical. These proteins have a certain fleshy taste sensation. Therefore, it has special application in meat conditioning and can replace some lean meat raw materials.
1. Water-retaining property
The water retention of soy protein plays an important role in meat production, especially its ability to absorb, combine and bind water in the processing of minced meat products, which can not only retain the juice of raw meat, increase the taste and flavor of products, but also increase the yield of products. The water retention of proteins is also affected by many factors, such as viscosity, pH, ionization strength and temperature. Ma Yuxiang studied the effect of the addition of soy protein isolate on salt-soluble muscle protein heat-induced gel, and the experimental results showed that the addition of soy protein isolate made the ultrastructure of the mixed protein gel rough, reduced the strength of the mixed protein gel, but improved the water-retaining capacity of the gel.
2. Emulsifying property
Emulsifying soybean protein hydrophilic, lipophilic determines its emulsifying stability, soybean protein is a surfactant, it can reduce the surface tension of water and oil, and reduce the surface tension of water and air, so it is easy to form a more stable emulsion. The emulsified oil droplets are stabilized by the heavy white material that accumulates on the surface of the oil droplets, forming a protective layer. This protective layer can prevent the accumulation of oil droplets and the destruction of the emulsification state, so that the emulsification performance is stable. In the preparation of baked food, frozen food and soup food, a large number of studies have been reported on adding human soy protein isolate as emulsifier to stabilize the product state.
3. Caking property
Protein molecular bonding, strong solubility and absorption ability make it has caking property, It apply to adjust food properties. When protein heatto 80 ℃, proteinwill happen business solution or analysis solution, molecular volume increases, viscosity increases, more than 90 ℃ viscosity decreases, pH in six to eight, protein structure is the most stable, maximum viscosity; Above 11, the viscosity is sharply reduced due to the breakdown of protein bonding.
4. Gel property
When meat products containing soy protein are heated, they will form a salty gelatinous structure, which has an obvious effect on the water retention and taste of the products due to the hardness, elasticity, flake and texture of the products. The formation of gel is affected by many factors, including heating time, temperature and concentration of soy protein solution.
Soybean protein contains essential amino acids, which can strengthen the nutritional composition of prepared meat products and play an important role in improving the quality of prepared meat products.
1.High cost effective protein source with enhanced nutrition
Soybean protein has been widely used in the preparation of meat products because of its low price and good protein quality. Adding soybean protein to all kinds of frozen meat products can not only improve the ratio of protein, but also make the nutrition of protein more comprehensive and reasonable.
2.Flavoring in prepared meat products
Soybean protein contains a small amount of fatty acids and carbohydrates, after heating will produce unique aroma, and regulate the products sometimes raw meat (fish) or ingredients and due to the processing of the I art, such as sterilization produced some of the unpleasant smell, may cause consumers antipathy, soy protein unique fragrance smell to above has certain masking effect, Therefore, soy protein has a certain flavoring effect.
3.Soy protein can improve the structure of prepared meat products
Soybean protein has good gel properties and bonding properties, which can effectively improve the texture of the product, enhance the elasticity and hardness of the product, and make the product compact in structure and better in taste. More meaty, especially in fast east meat country, live meatballs and meat products are more sold.
4.The emulsifying property of soybean protein was used to solve the problem of oil coming out of water of prepared meat products
Water, oil is one of the most common problems in the process of cooking in the conditioning of internal products, using the emulsification characteristics of soybean heavy white, so that the water and oil form a grain for the field network structure, so that the water and oil in the conditioning of internal products are very south, in the storage and cooking process of water, oil hidden less.
Two important processes for processing prepared meat products are processing raw meat and curing ingredients. According to the processing characteristics of prepared meat products, there are usually the following adding methods:
1.Injection Method
Large pieces of fresh meat are added with pickling solution. The soybean protein soluble brine brine is added by injection, and then other processing methods are carried out. This method can make protein evenly distributed in meat. Soy protein generally accounts for 2 to 6 percent of meat products by weight.
2.Dry Method
That is, soybean protein products in chopping, rolling, stirring process at the beginning of the state of dry material evenly added, but the dry material should be added to the meat products before fat.
3.Hydration Method
In order to make full use of the functional characteristics of soybean protein, soybean protein products had better be hydrated before adding and made into a dispersion containing 18% of protein. The water ratio is soybean powder: water is 1:(1.5~1.8), protein concentrate: water is 1:(2~2.5), protein isolate: water is 1:(3.5~4).
Regulate meat as an emerging industry, its accessories added by the wide attention of the society, as a result of the good function of the soy protein, a variety of features, has become an important conditioning meat processing accessories, the size of the amount of its flavor, texture, structure plays an important role, If add a little amount of product caused not harmonious, not masking bad smell flavor, not to reach the effect of flavouring, And it will lead to loose product structure, soft taste and other adverse results; On the contrary, excessive use of the product will cause too strong bean smell, taste hard and other adverse phenomenons, the specific amount of soy protein to be added according to the quality of soy protein and the type of product to be developed to decide comprehensively.
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Soy protein isolate is a kind of plant protein with the highest content of protein -90%. It is made from defatted soy meal by removing most of the fats and carbohydrates, yielding a product with 90 percent protein. Therefore, soy protein isolate has a very neutral flavour compared to other soy products. Because most of the carbohydrates are removed, the intake of soy protein isolate does not cause flatulence.
Soy protein isolate, also known as isolated soy protein is used in the food industry for nutritional ( increasing protein content), sensorial ( better mouthfeel, bland flavour) and functional reasons( for applications requiring emulsification, water and fat absorption and adhesive properties).
Soy protein is used in following food products:
Meat processing, frozen products,poultry and fish products
Meat alternatives
Tofu
Baked foods
Soups,sauces and prepared foods
Meal replacements,breakfast cereals
Energy and protein bars
Weight loss ready-to-drink beverages
snacks
Flow Chart of Isolated Soy Protein
Soymeal---Extraction---Centrifugation---Acidification---Centrifugation---Neutralization---Sterilization---Descent---Spray Drying---Screening---Packing---Metal Detecting---Deliver to the Warehouse.
Applications of Soy Fiber
Characters of Soy Dietary Fiber:
-High water binding ability as 1:8 at least;
-Stable characteristics;
-Ability of keeping (supporting) effects of emulsifier;
-Insolubility in water and oil;
-To form gel together with soy protein.
Advantages to Use Soy Dietary Fiber
Thanks to the high water-binding ability, it increases the yield of meat production greatly, for the purpose to reduce the production cost. And the thermal stability of edible fiber under high temperature sterilization also makes it used widely in the production of many kinds of canned food. Besides this, it cleans gall bladder, prevents forming stones and helps to reduce the cholesterol in human blood.
Soy Dietary Fiber is recommended in the following kinds of products:
-Cooked Sausages, Cooked Hams; Half-smoked, boiled-smoked sausages;
-Minced meat;
-Chopped semi-prepared meat;
-Canned food, like Luncheon Meat, Canned Tuna;
-Tomato Mix, Tomato Paste, Tomato Sauce, and other Sauces recommended.
Flow Chart of Soy Fiber
Defatted Soya Flake---Protein Extracting---Centrifugating---Double Centifugating---PH Adjusting---Neutralizing---Washing---Squeezing---Crumbling---HeatTreating---Drying---Screening---Packing---Terminal Metal Detecting---Deliver to the Warehouse.
The new generation of veggie burgers aims to replace the beefy original with fake meat or fresher vegetables. To find out how well they do, we ran a blind tasting of six top contenders. By Julia Moskin.
In just two years, food technology has moved consumers from browsing for wan “veggie patties” in the frozen aisle to selecting fresh “plant-based burgers” sold next to the ground beef.
Behind the scenes at the supermarket, giant battles are being waged: Meat producers are suing to have the words “meat” and “burger” restricted to their own products. Makers of meat alternatives like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are vying to capture the global fast-food market, as big players like Tyson and Perdue join the fray. Environmental and food scientists are insisting that we eat more plants and less processed food. Many vegetarians and vegans say the goal is to break the habit of eating meat, not feed it with surrogates.
“I would still prefer to eat something that’s not lab-grown,” said Isa Chandra Moskowitz, the chef at the vegan restaurant Modern Love in Omaha, where her own burger is the most popular dish on the menu. “But it’s better for people and for the planet to eat one of those burgers instead of meat every day, if that’s what they are going to do anyway.”
The new refrigerator-case “meat” products already comprise one of the fastest-growing segments of the food industry.
Some are proudly high-tech, assembled from an array of starches, fats, salts, sweeteners and synthetic umami-rich proteins. They are made possible by new technologies that, for example, whip coconut oil and cocoa butter into tiny globules of white fat that give the Beyond Burger the marbled appearance of ground beef.
Others are resolutely simple, based on whole grains and vegetables, and reverse-engineered with ingredients like yeast extract and barley malt to be crustier, browner and juicier than their frozen veggie-burger predecessors. (Some consumers are turning away from those familiar products, not only because of the taste, but because they are most often made with highly processed ingredients.)
But how do all the newcomers perform at the table?
The Times restaurant critic Pete Wells, our cooking columnist Melissa Clark and I lined up both kinds of new vegan burgers for a blind tasting of six national brands. Though many people have already tasted these burgers in restaurants, we wanted to replicate the experience of a home cook. (To that end, Melissa and I roped in our daughters: my 12-year-old vegetarian and her 11-year-old burger aficionado.)
Each burger was seared with a teaspoon of canola oil in a hot skillet, and served in a potato bun. We first tasted them plain, then loaded with our favorites among the classic toppings: ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles and American cheese. Here are the results, on a rating scale of one to five stars.
1. Impossible Burger
★★★★½
Maker Impossible Foods, Redwood City, Calif.
Slogan “Made From Plants For People Who Love Meat”
Selling points Vegan, gluten-free.
Price $8.99 for a 12-ounce package.
Tasting notes “The most like a beef burger by far,” was my first scribbled note. Everyone liked its crisp edges, and Pete noted its “brawny flavor.” My daughter was convinced it was a real ground beef patty, slipped in to confuse us. The only one of the six contenders that includes genetically modified ingredients, the Impossible Burger contains a compound (soy leghemoglobin) created and manufactured by the company from plant hemoglobins; it quite successfully replicates the “bloody” look and taste of a rare burger. Melissa deemed it “charred in a good way,” but, like most plant-based burgers, it became rather dried out before we finished eating.
Ingredients: Water, soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, sunflower oil, natural flavors, 2 percent or less of: potato protein, methylcellulose, yeast extract, cultured dextrose, food starch-modified, soy leghemoglobin, salt, soy protein isolate, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), zinc gluconate, thiamine hydrochloride (vitamin B1), sodium ascorbate (vitamin C), niacin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin B12.
2. Beyond Burger
★★★★
Maker Beyond Meat, El Segundo, Calif.
Slogan “Go Beyond”
Selling points Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, non-G.M.O.
Price $5.99 for two four-ounce patties.
Tasting notes The Beyond Burger was “juicy with a convincing texture,” per Melissa, who also commended its “roundness, with lots of umami.” Her daughter identified a faint but pleasing smoky flavor, reminiscent of barbecue-flavored potato chips. I liked its texture: crumbly but not dry, as a burger should be. This burger was the most visually similar to one made of ground beef, evenly marbled with white fat (made from coconut oil and cocoa butter) and oozing a bit of red juice, from beets. Over all, Pete said, a “real beefy” experience.
Ingredients: Water, pea protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, rice protein, natural flavors, cocoa butter, mung bean protein, methylcellulose, potato starch, apple extract, salt, potassium chloride, vinegar, lemon juice concentrate, sunflower lecithin, pomegranate fruit powder, beet juice extract (for color).
3. Lightlife Burger
★★★
Maker Lightlife/Greenleaf Foods, Toronto
Slogan “Food That Shines”
Selling points Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, non-G.M.O.
Price $5.99 for two four-ounce patties.
Tasting notes “Warm and spicy” with a “crisp exterior” according to Melissa, the Lightlife burger is a new offering from a company that has been making burgers and other meat substitutes from tempeh (a fermented soy product with a sturdier texture than tofu) for decades. That’s probably why it nailed the “firm and chewy texture” that I found a little bready, but “not worse than most fast-food burgers.” “Pretty good when loaded up” was Pete’s final verdict.
Ingredients: Water, pea protein, expeller-pressed canola oil, modified cornstarch, modified cellulose, yeast extract, virgin coconut oil, sea salt, natural flavor, beet powder (for color), ascorbic acid (to promote color retention), onion extract, onion powder, garlic powder.
4. Uncut Burger
★★★
Maker Before the Butcher, San Diego
Slogan “Meaty but Meatless”
Selling points Vegan, gluten-free, non-G.M.O.
Price $5.49 for two four-ounce patties, available later this year.
Tasting notes The Uncut Burger, so named by the manufacturer to imply the opposite of a cut of meat, actually rated among the meatiest of the bunch. I was impressed by its slightly chunky texture, “like good coarse-ground beef,” but Melissa felt it made the burger fall apart “like wet cardboard.” The taste seemed “bacony” to Pete, perhaps because of the “grill flavor” and “smoke flavor” listed in the formula. (To food manufacturers, they are not quite the same thing: one is intended to taste of charring, the other of wood smoke.)
Ingredients: Water, soy protein concentrate, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, isolated soy protein, methylcellulose, yeast extract (yeast extract, salt, natural flavor), caramel color, natural flavor (yeast extract, maltodextrin, salt, natural flavors, medium chain triglycerides, acetic acid, grill flavor [from sunflower oil], smoke flavor), beet juice powder (maltodextrin, beet juice extract, citric acid), natural red color (glycerin, beet juice, annatto), citric acid.
5. FieldBurger
★★½
Maker Field Roast, Seattle
Slogan “Plant-Based Artisanal Meats”
Selling points Vegan, soy-free, non-G.M.O.
Price About $6 for four 3.25-ounce patties.
Tasting notes Not much like meat, but still “much better than the classic” frozen vegetarian patties, to my mind, and the consensus choice for a good vegetable burger (rather than a meat replica). Tasters liked its “vegetal” notes, a reflection of the onions, celery and three different forms of mushroom — fresh, dried and powdered — on the ingredients list. There was some crispness to like in the crust, according to Pete, but the bready interior (it contains gluten) was not popular. “Maybe this burger would do better without a bun?” he asked.
Ingredients: Vital wheat gluten, filtered water, organic expeller-pressed palm fruit oil, barley, garlic, expeller-pressed safflower oil, onions, tomato paste, celery, carrots, naturally flavored yeast extract, onion powder, mushrooms, barley malt, sea salt, spices, carrageenan (Irish moss sea vegetable extract), celery seed, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, shiitake mushrooms, porcini mushroom powder, yellow pea flour.
6. Sweet Earth Fresh Veggie Burger
★★½
Maker Sweet Earth Foods, Moss Landing, Calif.
Slogan “Exotic by Nature, Conscious by Choice”
Selling points Vegan, soy-free, non-G.M.O.
Price About $4.25 for two four-ounce patties.
Tasting notes This burger is sold only in flavors; I chose Mediterranean as the most neutral. Tasters liked the familiar profile of what Melissa declared “the burger for people who love falafel,” made mostly from chickpeas and bulked out with mushrooms and gluten. (Called “vital wheat gluten” on ingredient lists, it is a concentrated formulation of wheat gluten, commonly added to bread to make it lighter and chewier, and the main ingredient in seitan.) The burger wasn’t meaty, but had “nutty, toasted grain” notes that I liked from brown rice, and whiffs of spices like cumin and ginger. This burger is a longtime market leader, and Sweet Earth was recently acquired by Nestlé USA on the strength of it; the company is now introducing a new plant-meat contender called the Awesome Burger.
Ingredients: Garbanzo beans, mushroom, vital wheat gluten, green peas, kale, water, bulgur wheat, barley, bell peppers, carrot, quinoa, extra-virgin olive oil, red onion, celery, flax seed, cilantro, garlic, nutritional yeast, granulated garlic, sea salt, ginger, granulated onion, lime juice concentrate, cumin, canola oil, oregano.