











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.
Our new factory, which will manufacture wheat gluten 70,000tons, wheat starch 120,000 tons is being constructed. The workshop is being built according to GMP standard, will become the largest wheat industry chain in China, even the World. We always pursue excellent products and professional service; very welcome all customers both from China and abroad visiting our Group, to create magnificent future together!
Dear Customers:
Bonjour!
Thank you very much for your long-term support to our company, we sincerely invite you to attend the Shanghai National Convention and Exhibition Center on June 8-10, 2021
The 24th China International Food Additives and Ingredients Exhibition
The 30th National Food Additive Production and Application Technology Exhibition
Please Visit Us
Booth number: 11D10/11F11
Shandong Kawah Oils Co., Ltd.
i
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.
If you are looking for a good quality and reasonable price of soybean protein isolate products,Xinrui Group can provide you with the best
soy protein isolate is known to be a good source of nutrition for the body. What are the advantages of soybean protein isolate? What does the future hold for SPI?
l What is soy protein isolate
l What are the benefits of soy protein isolate
l What is the future research direction of soy protein isolate
Soy protein powder is a nearly purified protein obtained from soybeans extracted from soybeans through a series of processing steps. soy protein isolate contains eight essential amino acids, which are similar to meat, fish, eggs, and milk, and belong to full-price protein.
After refined processing, soybean protein powder has high nutritional value, but the uses are different. Generally speaking, the molecular weight of soybean protein is relatively large, the digestion process is slightly more complicated, and it is more suitable for ordinary people to supplement nutrition; while the molecular weight of whey protein is relatively small, which is more suitable for the elderly, children and people recovering from illness.
Since the natural soybean protein isolate functional properties are not prominent, it is difficult to meet the different requirements of protein functional properties in food systems. To this end, some methods are needed to improve the functional properties of soybean protein isolate, so that it can be used in a variety of food systems. The modification of SPI is to essentially change the functional properties of soybean protein isolate through physical, chemical, enzymatic or genetic engineering methods, so as to achieve the required quality characteristics of food and expand the application scope of soybean protein isolate in the field of food. The hydrolysate prepared by enzymatic modification of SPI not only has improved functional properties, but also has improved nutritional value. Because of its more obvious advantages, enzymatic modification is considered to be a potential modification method and has become a research hotspot.
If you are looking for a good quality and reasonable price of soybean protein isolate products,Xinrui Group can provide you with the best
Xinrui Group is a leading soy protein and Wheat protein production base in China. The company will participate in the 25th China International Food Additives and Ingredients Exhibition from August 16 to 18, 2022 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. At the exhibition, Xinrui Group will showcase its latest wheat gluten, soy dietary fiber and soy protein isolate products and technologies.
Exhibition overview
Company Profile
Exhibited Products
Exhibition pictures over the years
With the strong support of colleagues in the food additives and ingredients industry, FIC has become a world-renowned, Asia's largest, most international and most cohesive food additives and ingredients industry brand exhibition after more than 20 years of cultivation and development. , much favored by colleagues in the industry at home and abroad.
This Exhibition is an important event that will take place in Guangzhou from August 16 to 18, 2022. Xinrui Group will participate in this exhibition and show our latest wheat gluten, Wheat protein, soy dietary fiber and soy protein isolate products and technologies.
![]() | ![]() |
Xinrui Group is China's high-quality wheat protein & soy protein production base. With 17 years of agricultural products extraction and sales experiences, we are an integration of multiple and diversified group companies. Its products include vital wheat gluten, wheat starch, soy dietary fiber, soy protein isolate, edible ethanol and so on.
Xinrui Group will exhibit its wide range of wheat protein & soy protein products. These products include include vital wheat gluten, wheat starch, soy dietary fiber, soy protein isolate, edible ethanol and so on. They are used in various foods such as beverage, meat processing, Cooking, Emulsifier, Food Additive, bakery and meat products.
Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to find information about our products and learn about their application in food production. They will also be able to ask questions about our products and services.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
Xinrui Group has participated in the China International Food Additives and Ingredients Exhibition for many years now. The exhibition is a great opportunity to network with industry leaders and to showcase our latest products to food additives and ingredients manufacturers.
This year's exhibition will be held from August 16 to 18, 2022 in Area A of the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. We look forward to seeing you there!
2020 seems to be the year of plant-based eruptions.
In January, more than 300,000 people supported the UK's "Vegetarian 2020" campaign. Many fast food restaurants and supermarkets in the UK have expanded their offerings into a popular plant-based movement. Innova Market Insights also listed "plant-based revolution" as the second trend in 2020; At the same time, Nelson's report shows that on top of last year's sales of plant-based foods of more than US$3.3billion, which is expected to exceed US$5billion by 2020.
The plant base is mainly supported by various plant proteins. What is the situation of vegetable protein market across the world? What are the driving forces behind plant protein development? What are the future application trends of plant protein in 2020? Please follow me to find out.
1. Global market for plant protein
According to Markets and Markets, the global plant protein Markets is expected to be worth US$18.5 billion in 2019, It is expected to grow at a CAgr of 14.0% starting in 2019 and reach US$40.6 billion by 2025. Plant-based protein products are derived from plants such as soybeans, wheat and peas. Plant protein applications include protein drinks, dairy substitutes, meat substitutes, protein bars, nutritional supplements, processed meat, poultry and seafood, baking, food and sports nutrition products. Plant protein applications can enhance the nutritional and functional properties of the product, such as texture, emulsifying properties, solubility, stability and adhesion etc.
The application of plant protein in new food and beverage products has also been increasing in the world. According to Innova's Global New Product Database, which tracks plant protein claims of new food and beverage products worldwide, between 2014 and 2018, the proportion of them continued growing, with the exception of North America, the Middle East and Africa. Despite the decline in North America, the share of new product releases in North America remains one of the world's leading, accounting for 15.4% of total new product releases in 2018. Plant protein claims in Asia were the most significant increase, accounting for 13.4% of all new releases in 2018, an increase of 2.4% from 2014.
2. Market Driving Force of Plant Protein
1)Increased number of new releases
In food and beverage industry, more and more new products will use plant protein as the main highlight of the product. According to innova Market Insights, new food and beverage releases with plant protein claims were tracked globally at a CAgr of + 9 % between 2014 and 2018.
2)Change of consumer eating habits, advocating " clean " diet
Consumers pay more attention to food sources, and plants are what they consider " clean " sources. The trend toward a " clean diet " is largely driven by millennials who prefer healthy, ethical, natural, less processed foods.
On the other hand, consumers' eating habits are gradually changing, they are reducing meats and more prone to vegetation protein. In the uk, the " vegetarian 2020 " campaign was supported by over 300,000 people and many fast-food restaurants and supermarkets in the UK have expanded their offerings to take part in a popular plant-based movement.
3)Large enterprises invest in vegetable protein market
ADM
Cargill
CHS
DuPont
Yuwang Group
Gushen Group
Xinrui Group
Shandong Kawah Oils
Wonderful Industrial Group
Scents Holdings
Goldensea Industry
Sinoglory
FUJIOIL
IMCOPA
Shandong Sanwei
Hongzui Group
MECAGROUP
Sonic Biochem
Ruiqianjia
Xinrui Group – Shandong Kawah Oils invetsted USD 45,000,000 in 2016 to establish 4 soy protein isolate production lines with the output of 6000 tons annually based on the 12- year-old soybean oil extracting factory.
China had the largest capacity to process as much as 79 percent of global soy protein isolate, the total capacity is 500000 t/y and the actual producing amount in total is 350000t in 2019.
ADM (US) and DuPont (US) are the two giants in the global market. These companies have made expansion and investment the main strategy for expanding their market in plant protein. In January 2019, ADM expanded its presence in Brazil with the construction of a new soy protein production base in Campo Grande, South Mato Grosso State, Brazil, valued at USD 250,000,000. The company will produce a range of functional protein concentrates and isolates for ADM's current product line.
3. Application Trend of Plant Protein
1)Soy protein is expected to dominate the market in the next 5 years, with the emerging of pea and oat protein as the new trend.
Soy protein is widely used in the food and beverage industry due to the demand for high protein diet and the increasing popularity of soy protein. In a survey of plant protein sources by Aritzon in 1919, soy protein topped the list at US $3.12 billion. According to Innova data, soy protein was the leading ingredient in food and beverage new products announced by plant protein between 2014 and 2018, with 9% of related new products adopted. Soy protein helps lower cholesterol levels, improves metabolism, bone density, and can also reduce the risk of cancer. Soy protein isolate can be used in nutrition bars, meat substitutes, baking products, sports nutrition products and beverages, etc.
Apart from soy, pea protein consumption has increased rapidly in recent years. Global pea protein consumption has doubled from 2015, according to data from food company technical adviser enk Hoogenkamp, to 275000 tons, by 2020. Its consumption will grow 30% to 580000 tons by 2025.
Oat protein is also a kind of great potential plant protein. Oat contents 19% of protein, oat protein is rich in amino acids and essential amino acids, is a high-quality nutritional protein. Oat milk is a newly developed non-dairy vegetable milk. There are many functional similarities between oat milk and milk. Both are creamy and have a smooth texture and consistency. According to Mintel data, the European market in April 2017 to March 2018 listed new products, oat-based drinks and yogurt accounted for 14.8 percent, compared with 9.8 percent a year earlier.
2)Protein ssolate expected to dominate plant protein market in the next 5 years
Protein Isolate contains high Protein content and digestibility. Protein isolates are widely used in protein- and nutrition-related applications such as sports nutrition, protein drinks, and nutritional supplements. In recent years, because of its different functional characteristics, it has been widly used in a variety of beverages and dairy products to cater for athletes, body builders, vegetarians.
3) Sports nutrition, snacks are the application trend
Sports nutrition products and snacks are the trend for future applications. According to Innova Market Insights, the Global New Product Database tracks the launch of a new food and beverage product with plant protein claims, The growth of sports nutrition category is the most obvious, with an average annual compound growth rate of 32% from 2014 to 2018, followed by snack, with an average annual cgr of 14%.
Protein nutrition bar originally belongs to sports nutrition, with the upgrading of consumer awareness, it gradually moved closer to the category of snacks. Today, protein bars are not just for athletes, but also for the average consumer looking for a nutrient bar for breakfast or a daily snack.
The Application of Plant Protein in Protein Nutrition Bar in Recent Years:
BEKIND Nuts bar
PhD Nutrition Bar
64g (per piece) contains 23g vege protein.
Probar Energy Bar
Each Probar contains 1 billion 10 active probiotics and 10g of vege protein.
Dang Nutrition Bar
Each bar has 9-10g of vegetable protein, gluten free.
Blake’s Protein Bar
4. Summary
2020 seems to be the year of plant-based eruptions and the Nutrition Bar is the most popular in snack. Mars launched the BEKIND nut bar, aiming at post-exercise energy supplement and meal replacement scene in Dec., 2019, also trends to Chinese New Year snack gift pack. Can plant protein follow the trend and stack up in nutrition bars? We'll see.
References:
1. Plant-based Protein Market by Type (Isolates, Concentrates, Protein Flour), Application (Protein Beverages, Dairy Alternatives, Meat Alternatives, Protein Bars, Processed Meat, Poultry & Seafood, Bakery Product), Source, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025,Markets and Markets
2. Creation of Plant Protein, Innova Market Insights
3. PLANT-BASED PROTEIN MARKET GLOBAL OUTLOOK & FORECAST 2020−2025,Arizton.
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.