The Advances of Plant Product Meat Alternatives as a Healthier and Environmentally Friendly Option for Animal Meat Protein Consumption
Dobgima John Fonmboh
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Bioresource Technology, College of Technology, University of Bamenda-Bambili, Cameroon and Department of Biological Control Advanced Biotech Corporative Bali, Nyonga, Cameroon.
Ejoh Richard Aba
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Bioresource Technology, College of Technology, University of Bamenda-Bambili, Cameroon.
Tita Magarete Awah
Department of Biology, Higher Teacher Training College Bambili, University of Bamenda, Cameroon.
Tembe Estella Fokunang
Department of Pharmaco- Toxicology and Pharmacokinetics, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Ngwasiri Pride Ndasi
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Bioresource Technology, College of Technology, University of Bamenda-Bambili, Cameroon.
Noumo Thierry Ngangmou
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Bioresource Technology, College of Technology, University of Bamenda-Bambili, Cameroon.
Bengyella Louis Tita
Department of Biological Control Advanced Biotech Corporative Bali, Nyonga, Cameroon and Genetic Division, American Farm Consulting Wenatchee, WA, USA.
Njinkio Borgia Nono
Department of Pharmaco- Toxicology and Pharmacokinetics, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Edrice Ajabi Eselle Samelle
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Bamenda, Cameroon.
Benyella Lovet Fokunang
Lead Scientist GE Life Science, CYTIVA Logan, Utah, USA.
Kaba Christian Nubia
Department of Biological Control Advanced Biotech Corporative Bali, Nyonga, Cameroon and Department of Clinical Research, Revance Therapeutic Incorporated, Newark California, USA.
Fokunang Charles Ntungwen *
Department of Biological Control Advanced Biotech Corporative Bali, Nyonga, Cameroon and Department of Pharmaco- Toxicology and Pharmacokinetics, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
High protein from meat consumption has been associated recently to environmental depletion and health related issues despite the important contribution of meat and meat products in diet and growth development. This has motivated debates on a drastic shift from excessive meat consumption amongst stake holders, academics, animal rights activists and environmentalist as informed consumers are pushing food scientist for a more sustainable alternative protein source. Plant proteins are considered a suitable alternative protein. However, the nutritional, functional potential and the form of presentation have shown some technological difficulties which indicates that direct transformation of plant proteins to meat products is less feasible. Though meat alternative research is promising in developed countries, there are technological breakthroughs that have permitted to replace in part or fully certain sensory attributes of meat inspired by the technology behind the ancient east Asian traditionally structured products like tofu, seitan and tempeh. However, despite the global increase in meat consumption associated with high standard of living, the search for the meat protein alternative from plant products have been limited to the conventional sources of soybeans, beans, lentils, vegetables and pulses. Future research could be diversified and orientated towards improving the existing African foods produced endogenously from wild orchid tubers widely consumed in low middle income countries in the form of cakes, meat substitutes, fake meat, mock meat and/or meat replacements. The successful production of a convenient and acceptable plant-based meat replacement will go a long way to reduce or eliminate excessive meat consumption. This review is geared towards a wider data search concerning the advances in meat alternative research and particularly to illustrate on some neglected African endogenously processed products consumed as meat alternatives that needs further research on the wild tubers sources as ingredients for potential convenient and acceptable meat alternatives or extender.
Keywords: Meat alternatives, non-animal protein, healthy and environmentally friendly, wild orchid tubers, low middle income countries