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The Future of Meat Alternatives: Advances in Plant-Based, Cultured, Microbial,...
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The Future of Meat Alternatives: Advances in Plant-Based, Cultured, Microbial, and Insect-Derived Meat

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Meat".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 May 2026) | Viewed by 3956

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Seon-Tea Joo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52852, Republic of Korea
Interests: meat science; meat quality; alternative proteins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Sun Jin Hur

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Republic of Korea
Interests: meat products; in vitro digestion; cultured meat; plant-based protein
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global demand for sustainable and alternative meat production to supplement traditional farmed meat is a prime focus for the meat scientist. This has led to rapid research in meat alternatives derived from plants, cultured cells, microbes, and insects. This Special Issue focuses on the latest research and developments in the novel techniques, production, characterization, and consumer acceptance of next-generation meat alternatives. By integrating perspectives from food science, biotechnology, nutrition, and sustainability, this collection aims to highlight key challenges, emerging solutions, and future directions shaping the evolution of the alternative meat landscape.

This Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and short communications focusing on innovations that improve the nutritional value, sensory quality, functionality, safety, and sustainability of alternative meat products. Contributions integrating food science, biotechnology, nutrition, and consumer research are particularly encouraged.

Topics of Interest Include:

  • Advances in plant-based meat production with optimized texture and flavor development
  • Cultured meat production: cell line selection, scaffolding, texture flavor development, and scale-up strategies
  • Microbial and fermentation-derived proteins, including single-cell proteins and mycoprotein applications.
  • Insect-derived proteins and their applications in hybrid meat alternatives.
  • Functional, nutritional, and sensory characterization of alternative meats.
  • Food safety, stability, and shelf-life assessment of alternative proteins
  • Consumer perception, labelling, and market acceptance of meat alternatives
  • Future perspectives of sustainable, scalable production of meat alternatives.

Prof. Dr. Seon-Tea Joo
Prof. Dr. Sun Jin Hur
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • meat alternatives
  • cultured meat
  • plant-based meat
  • microbial protein
  • insect-based meat
  • texture
  • flavor
  • scalable production

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 3243 KB  
Article
Myotube/Adipocyte Powder-Enriched Alginate–Zein Hydrogels Support Myotube Alignment for 3D Myoblast Culture
by Jihad Kamel, Jun-Yeong Lee, Chandra-Jit Yadav, Sadia Afrin, Usha Yadav, Sung Soo Han and Kyung-Mee Park
Foods 2026, 15(3), 522; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15030522 - 2 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 897
Abstract
Recent advances in cultured-meat research emphasize the development of edible scaffolds that promote myogenic differentiation. Nonetheless, many materials provide only structural support and do not replicate native muscle or serve as alternatives to muscle–adipocyte co-culture, highlighting the need for cytocompatible, tissue-specific scaffolds. This [...] Read more.
Recent advances in cultured-meat research emphasize the development of edible scaffolds that promote myogenic differentiation. Nonetheless, many materials provide only structural support and do not replicate native muscle or serve as alternatives to muscle–adipocyte co-culture, highlighting the need for cytocompatible, tissue-specific scaffolds. This study aimed to develop a composite alginate–zein (Algi/zein) hydrogel enriched with myotube (MP) and adipocyte (AP) powders to provide a structural, biochemical, and potentially cultured-meat hydrogel. Algi/zein hydrogels enriched with myotube (MP) and adipocyte (AP) powders were fabricated and evaluated for structural, cellular, and biochemical properties using C2C12 myoblasts cultured in 2D and 3D environments. Metabolite profiling was performed to evaluate the biochemical features. MP/AP incorporation generated extra cellular matrix (ECM)-like microstructures and significantly enhanced myotube alignment in Algi/zein scaffolds compared with MP/AP-free controls, increasing the proportion of axially aligned fibers by up to ~6-fold at a 1:1 AP:MP ratio. Organized myosin expression was observed, while metabolomic profiling indicated partial biochemical similarity to beef. Incorporating MP and AP into Algi/zein hydrogels enhanced myotube alignment and showed partial structural and biochemical similarity to native muscle tissue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Future of Meat Alternatives: Advances in Plant-Based, Cultured, Microbial, and Insect-Derived Meat)
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14 pages, 1414 KB  
Article
Wet-Spinning Technology for Plant-Based Meat Alternative: Influence of Protein Composition on Physicochemical and Textural Properties
by Swati Kumari, So-Hee Kim, Chan-Jin Kim, Young-Hwa Hwang and Seon-Tea Joo
Foods 2025, 14(22), 3913; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14223913 - 15 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1301
Abstract
The development of a fibrous-structured meat alternative that can perfectly mimic the tribology of the meat is considered to be extremely challenging. In this study, a bottom-up technique, wet spinning, was used to produce a fiber-like structure similar to muscle fiber. Different protein [...] Read more.
The development of a fibrous-structured meat alternative that can perfectly mimic the tribology of the meat is considered to be extremely challenging. In this study, a bottom-up technique, wet spinning, was used to produce a fiber-like structure similar to muscle fiber. Different protein concentrations (0% to 16%) of wheat protein, pea protein isolates, and sodium alginate (2%) were used as an emulsifier and compared with the conventional meat (longissimus dorsi muscle) from a barrow in terms of physicochemical (pH, color, moisture content, cooking loss), textural (Texture profile and Warner–Bratzler Shear Force), and sensory parameters. The results from the study showed that the ratio of protein concentration significantly affected the solution behavior, leading to change in the spinnability of solution. The combined protein formulations displayed by a greater range of physicochemical and textural properties, especially hardness and WBSF, ranged from 22 N to 32.20 N and 4.26 to 4.71 kg/cm2 in comparison to each other (p < 0.05). However, principal component analysis has shown that the overall profiling was significantly different than that of conventional meat (p < 0.05). The overall results suggested that the blend of wheat protein and pea protein isolate shows great potential for preparing a variety of structured meat alternatives by optimizing the concentration based on the desired product profiling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Future of Meat Alternatives: Advances in Plant-Based, Cultured, Microbial, and Insect-Derived Meat)
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19 pages, 2883 KB  
Perspective
Cultured Meat and Its Acceptability in Muslim Societies: A Narrative Perspective on Halal Perspectives and Regulatory Challenges
by Randah M. Alqurashi, Dominika Sikora, Piotr Rzymski and Barbara Poniedziałek
Foods 2026, 15(8), 1288; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15081288 - 9 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 875
Abstract
Cultured meat holds the potential to reduce environmental impacts and offer ethical advantages while replicating the nutritional, taste, and texture attributes of conventional meat. To date, most research on consumer acceptance of meat has focused on European and North American markets. In contrast, [...] Read more.
Cultured meat holds the potential to reduce environmental impacts and offer ethical advantages while replicating the nutritional, taste, and texture attributes of conventional meat. To date, most research on consumer acceptance of meat has focused on European and North American markets. In contrast, Muslim-majority countries remain underexplored, particularly regarding the compatibility of cultured meat with Islamic dietary laws. These societies are experiencing rising meat consumption, and countries such as Saudi Arabia and Malaysia rely heavily on meat imports. This narrative perspective article aims to systematically examine how specific stages of cultured meat production align with, or challenge, Islamic dietary (halal) principles. To this end, we adopt a stage-based analytical approach, mapping key technological steps in cultured meat production onto core requirements of Islamic jurisprudence. To this end, we critically and comprehensively examine the intersection between cultured meat production methods and the Islamic concept of halal, which extends beyond ingredient permissibility to encompass ethical, spiritual, and hygienic dimensions of food production. Key challenges to halal certification include the origin and status of starter cells, whether donor animals were slaughtered according to Islamic law, the permissibility of biopsied tissue, and the use of fetal bovine serum in growth media. The analysis indicates that while halal-compliant cultured meat is scientifically feasible, its adoption remains constrained by unresolved religious interpretations, regulatory fragmentation, and limited availability of halal-certified inputs. We emphasize the need for interdisciplinary collaboration among Islamic scholars, food scientists, certification bodies, and policymakers. From a policy perspective, harmonized halal standards, targeted investment in serum-free and animal-free culture media, and early regulatory engagement with Islamic authorities are essential to facilitate responsible market entry. Therefore, we suggest a multi-level governance and stage-gated halal decision framework for cultured meat. Proactive regulation and open dialogue with religious leaders are vital to ethically introduce cultured meat into Muslim markets, aligning innovation with Islamic values while supporting national sustainability and food security goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Future of Meat Alternatives: Advances in Plant-Based, Cultured, Microbial, and Insect-Derived Meat)
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