Meat+Poultry - July 2022 - 38

INGREDIENT ISSUES
Sri Artham, founder, Hooray Foods, San
Francisco, developed plant-based bacon
because he knows everything tastes better with
bacon, but not everyone can eat pork. Made
with seven simple ingredients - coconut oil,
rice flour, tapioca starch, liquid smoke, maple
syrup, umami (mushroom) powder, sea salt
and beet juice concentrate - the strips look,
cook and taste like pork bacon.
Field Roast Grain Meat
Co.'s pea protein-based
hot dog, inspired by
the flavors of kosherstyle
beef hot dogs,
were recently added to
the menu of Portillo's,
a fast-casual chain
based in Chicago.
100% vegan, kosher pareve, certified plant
based, contains no GMOs, and is free of the
cholesterol associated with meat.
" Crafted with clean, quality ingredients, our
seitan possesses impressively meat-like texture
and robust flavor that chefs can feel proud to
work into their plant-based menu options, " said
Upton's Naturals' founder Dan Staackmann.
Something important for formulators
to remember is that the quality and
characteristics of the plant protein source
affect how much formulators will need to rely
on flavor maskers, texturants or mouthfeel
enhancers. The higher the protein content,
the more influence the ingredient has on the
alternative's sensory properties.
There's been a lot of activity in plant-based
bacon, where fat - usually coconut based - is
the dominant ingredient, so flavor masking is
not much of an issue. While many believe that
everything tastes better with bacon, everything
also tends to taste better with coconut oil. It's
rich and flavorful and has a similar fatty acid
profile to animal fats.
AAK, Edison, NJ, developed a unique
blend of sunflower oil and coconut oil to
create crispy, sizzling bacon without the oink.
The sunflower oil supports slice flexibility
and lubricity, while the coconut oil gives the
slice structure, firmness and integrity. Oils
are released during the cooking process, not
unlike pork fat. The company suggests also
using a coconut oil ingredient applied as a
topical coating to the slices to enhance bacon
fry-ability and to ensure the finished, cooked
texture is achieved.
38 MEAT+POULTRY | 07.22 | www.meatpoultry.com
" The biggest advantage of being clean label
is accessibility, as our bacon is free of soy,
dairy and gluten, " said Artham. " It helps us
bring our product to more people with dietary
restrictions and allergies. When it comes to
pork bacon, many people are also concerned
about nitrates and hormones. Because
our plant-based version is nitrate-free and
hormone-free, this creates another opportunity
to reach those consumers and provide them a
cleaner alternative.
" Raising animals for food is the secondlargest
contributor to greenhouse gas
emissions, " said Artham. " As our bacon is
solely made from plants, it becomes easier
on the planet. And although our product does
contain saturated fat, there is no cholesterol,
so you can still be kinder to your body when
enjoying a comfort food. "
World Finer Foods, Bloomfield, NJ,
presented culinary professionals at the
National Restaurant Show with a new concept
in plant-based products: Cutting Vedge. The
company partnered with chefs to unlock a
world of flavor, through real ingredients that
deliver on taste, texture and protein.
The veggie-forward product comes in balls,
crumbles, patties and sausages. Artichokes are
the lead ingredient, supported by a nutritious
mix of spinach, quinoa and chickpeas.
Artichokes boast a hearty texture and function
as a carrier for different flavors.
Right before the National Restaurant Show,
gearing up for the summer hot dog season,
Chicago-based fast-casual chain Portillo's
added the plant-based Garden Dog hot dog to
its menu. The product features the Signature
Stadium Dog from Field Roast Grain Meat
Co., Seattle. It is a pea protein-based hot
dog with the flavors of kosher-style beef hot
dogs. Unlike products that use liquid smoke,
the links are smoked using maple hardwood
chips and both steam and dry heat. The plantbased
hot dog also offers a similar amount of
Field Roast Grain Meat Co.
http://www.meatpoultry.com
Meat+Poultry - July 2022

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