Vegan meat
analogs with HERBAROM® and HERBACEL® AQ® fibers

Plant-based meat alternatives have become increasingly important in recent years, as increasing numbers of people are opting to a flexitarian, vegetarian or vegan diet. In addition to the health benefits, plant-based meat alternatives also offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional meat production. In addition, plant-based meat alternatives open up new possibilities for the creation of innovative and versatile dishes that can appeal to new target groups. The development of vegan substitute products therefore represents an important opportunity for food manufacturing to meet the growing demands for sustainability, health, and diversity.

Benefits of HERBACEL® AQ® Fibers in meat analogs

Reduced loss during frying and cooking
Increased juiciness in recipes with higher water content
Better dimensional stability
Improved cold cohesion
Excellent freeze-thaw stability
Straightforward processing
Clean Labeling as “citrus fiber” or “apple fiber”

Benefits of HERBAROM® in meat analogs

Natural brown coloration for vegetable products
Different shades to imitate the color tone of chicken, beef, etc.
Covering the gray tone of plant proteins
Heat and frying resistance
Gluten-free
Rounding out the flavor profile
Clean Labeling as “apple extract”

Texturization and natural brown coloring of plant-based meat alternatives

Our HERBACEL® AQ® fibers are multifunctional fibers that play an important role in the production of plant-based meat products. Their texturizing, water-binding, emulsifying and Clean-Labeling properties optimize the quality and consistency of meat alternatives.

One of the most important properties of HERBACEL® AQ® PLUS and HERBACEL® AQ® AFB 200 is their texturizing effect. Through their ability to bind and emulsify water, fruit fibers improve the texture and mouthfeel of meat alternatives.

One challenge in developing meat substitutes is to achieve an authentic color that resembles real meat. Our apple extract HERBAROM® offers a solution to this issue by mimicking the “bloody” appearance of raw meat together with natural colorants such as beet. In addition, it improves the appearance with brown shades.

HERBAROM® can be used in combination with various sources such as soy, peas and rice to produce a variety of plant-based meat alternatives. Products such as ground meat, sausages, and patties can be produced, which are given an authentic meat appearance with HERBAROM®.