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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Healthy Processed Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #401036
Research Project: New Sustainable Processes, Preservation Technologies, and Product Concepts for Specialty Crops and Their Co-Products

Location: Healthy Processed Foods Research

Title: Production of fish analogues from plant proteins: Potential strategies, challenges, and outlook

Author
item ZHONG, CHENGXUAN - Wageningen University And Research Center
item FENG, YIMING - California Polytechnic State University
item Xu, Yixiang

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2023
Publication Date: 2/1/2023
Citation: Zhong, C., Feng, Y., Xu, Y. 2023. Production of fish analogues from plant proteins: Potential strategies, challenges, and outlook. Foods. 12(3). Article 614. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030614.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030614

Interpretive Summary: While fish products have historically been a high-quality protein source for humans worldwide, overfishing and climate change are driving an urgent need for alternatives. Consequently, the market for plant-based fish analogs, which mimic the structure, texture, and flavor of real fish, is rapidly expanding. This review explores the feasibility of and potential strategies for further development of plant-based fish analogs with emphasis on nutritional properties, especially protein quality. In addition, a thorough comparison is made between fish and animal muscle structures at both the microscopic and macroscopic levels. Potential processing technologies to produce plant-based fish analogs from plant proteins, and approaches for characterization of the fish analog structures are elaborated. Finally, key challenges and future research needs are discussed.

Technical Abstract: Fish products have been consumed by human beings as a high-quality protein source. However, overfishing puts on an urgent call to seek for a new strategy to substitute fish protein for secure eco-sustainability. Plant-based fish analogs which mimic the structure, texture, and flavor of fish meat products show rapid-growing segment of the food products. The purpose of this review is to discuss the feasibility and potential strategies to develop plant-based fish analog. The nutritional properties, especially protein quality of plant-based fish analogs, were discussed. Furthermore, a thorough comparison was made between fish and terrestrial animal muscle structures, including both macroscopical and microscopical structures. Potential processing technologies for production of plant-based fish analogs from plant proteins, and approaches for characterization of the fish analog structures were elaborated. Finally, key challenges and future research were discussed for the potential commercialization of plant-based fish analogs.