It is easy to forget everything the term plant-based implies. Plant-based means that no animal products – including fish, dairy and eggs – can be used to help create an authentic-feeling taste experience. Not just taste but texture, smell, and juiciness: all require innovative experiments and an open mind in the development process to achieve success. On top of this, food solutions created via unconventional means can make some customers a little cautious of plant-based alternatives to traditional meat, fish, and dairy dishes. However, despite this initial wariness, food technologies have come a long way in recent years, and CJ CheilJedang is at the forefront, making big investments of funds and technology in its bibigo PlanTable meat alternative food range, in step with a global movement from modern companies to change the shape of the food industry. With a plant-based food industry projected by Euromonitor to grow to a worth of 35 trillion KRW (about 26 billion USD) within the next 10 years, CJ Newsroom dives into why – and how – meat alternatives might be in for a bright future.
Why Plant-based? Four Major CJ CheilJedang Values
CJ CheilJedang’s Four Major Values for plant-based meat alternative research – outlined by Yoon Hyo-Jung in a presentation titled ‘Development and Research Direction of Alternative Meat Products for CJ CheilJedang’ – give a good insight into why customers and businesses are ramping up their investments in plant-based food solutions.
These four values are: Taste & Texture, Health & Nutrition, Sustainability and Clean Label, each of which speaks to the growing priorities of the customer base.
Health & Nutrition is, of course, a main priority of anyone weighing up food options, especially if the food itself is derived from manmade technologies. However, plant-based alternatives such as those found in CJ CheilJedang’s bibigo PlanTable line can actually provide healthy, carefully optimized protein nutrition, enhancing protein value at a reduced level of saturated fats and cholesterol. PlanTable products are also able to be fine-tuned for the delivery of otherwise deficient micronutrients.
In the area of Sustainability – another increasingly popular customer priority – meat alternatives also perform well, sometimes in unexpected ways. While the carbon footprint of plant-based products is famously lower than the footprint yielded by traditional farming methods, CJ’s 2021 Sustainability Report also cites the potential for decreased wastage by upcycling leftovers, with Excycle Basak Chips being a prime example. The Clean Label value, meanwhile, focuses on adjacent but still crucial food production processes, such as alternative materials for packaging and the focus on additive reduction.
This only leaves the value arguably at the front of consumers’ minds: Taste & Texture.
TVP, TasteNrich and FlavorNrich: Creative Solutions to Taste & Texture Conundrums
“The most important task is improving the taste. 85% of the taste of a meat dish comes from raw meat itself. To replace this 85% with plant-based ingredients requires advanced technology.”
With this in mind, CJ has developed Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), a dynamic solution to taste and texture issues that does not make compromises in flavor and is adapted specially to deal with Korean cuisine challenges.
A product that acts as the bedrock of many of CJ CheilJedang’s PlanTable options, TVP is manufactured through a particular process of applied pressure and heat. One special quality of CJ CheilJedang’s TVP is that it retains a consistent meat texture even after these heat and pressure exposures. This renders it ideal for traditional Korean dishes like soups and stews, which are integral parts of Korean dining.
TVP is highly adaptable and acts as a great foundation for nutritious, eco-friendly meal choices. When TVP products were tested, Yoon Hyo-Jung explained in the presentation, PlanTable Meatballs were noticeably succulent, meaty and more satisfyingly juicy due to a twice-grilled preparation process, while PlanTable Tteokgalbi retained its delicious flavor, texture and smell even with the addition of three new vegetables and Galbi sauce.
While many of these texture strengths are from the TVP, CJ CheilJedang has also been developing their patented TasteNrich and FlavorNrich ingredients, specially crafted to support TVP and enhance bibigo PlanTable products in the areas of taste and smell. TasteNrich, a taste enhancer, doubles up as both a meat alternative and a low salt option, while FlavorNrich, a scent enhancer, is the world’s first vegan natural cysteine solution.
Thanks to the experimental mindset at CJ CheilJedang, as well as their innovative global business strategies and food technologies, PlanTable and other meat alternatives are set to stick around, as well as help direct the company and the industry at large toward a profitable, sustainable and nutritious future.
