Enhancing Meat Analog Texture Using Wet-Spun Fibroin Protein Fibers: A Novel Approach to Mimic Whole-Muscle Meat

Abstract

The increasing demand for protein-rich, plant-based foods has driven the development of meat analogs that closely mimic the texture and mouthfeel of animal meat. While plant-based fibrils and electrospun silk fibroin fibers have been explored for texture enhancement and scaffolding in both meat analogs and cell-based meats, the use of wet-spun fibroin protein fibers as a food ingredient remains underexplored. This study investigates the potential of wet-spun recombinant fibroin fibers to enhance the textural properties of meat analogs. Short fibers, with varying tensile strengths and diameters, were incorporated into a commercial ground pork analog to create improved patty samples. The results showed that adding hydrophilic, 30 μm-diameter, 3-mm short protein fibers at 1% (w/w) significantly increased the springiness of the pork analog by 45%. Additionally, fiber sheets designed to mimic the endomysium structure of intramuscular connective tissue were integrated into the minced pork analog using a three-dimensional needle punching technique. This approach successfully recreated the interlacing endomysium structure found in whole-muscle pork, yielding a texture that closely matched the slice shear force, springiness, and cohesiveness of traditional pork. In conclusion, the incorporation of wet-spun protein fibers offers a promising strategy to enhance the textural qualities of meat analogs, making them more comparable to animal meat and potentially more appealing to consumers seeking high-quality plant-based alternatives.