Method for producing plant-based artificial meat by using leuconostoc meat

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for preparing a plant-based artificial meat product by using Leuconostoc carnosum, and particularly relates to a method for preparing a plant-based artificial meat product by using Leuconostoc carnosum. Such products can be prepared by inoculating a plant-based starting material with a composition comprising the bacteria. The invention also provides the use of leuconostoc meat for improving the organoleptic properties of such products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the fields of food technology and microbiology, in particular to the preparation of artificial meat products. Background of the Invention

[0003] Meat substitutes, or artificial meat products, are becoming increasingly popular in the Western world. Their importance continues to grow due to concerns about the sustainability limitations of traditional meat production methods.

[0004] Many efforts have been made to provide different meat substitutes, especially those from plants. However, despite the good nutritional value and continuous development of plant-based artificial meats, their palatability remains a key barrier to consumer acceptance. For example, materials made from beans may have off-flavors that consumers are not very accepting of.

[0005] The lack of the animal meat flavor that consumers are familiar with and expect is a major obstacle to the development of artificial meat products. In order to improve the texture and flavor of plant-based artificial meat, different ingredients are added to the production process. For example, the addition of microorganisms can make the raw materials more palatable and have desired changes in texture and sensory properties. US4556571 discloses the addition of yeast extract to overcome the beany taste problem in soy meat substitutes.

[0006] There is a continuing need to provide analog meat products with improved taste, aroma and texture. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention provides a method for producing analog meat products from plant material, in particular from legumes or cereals, using Leuconostoc carnosum. It has surprisingly been found that the use of Leuconostoc carnosum leads to an improved palatability of the flavor profile of these products in addition to an extended shelf life.

[0009] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing an artificial meat product, comprising the following steps:

[0010] a) providing a starting material prepared from plant material, and

[0011] b) inoculating the starting material with a composition comprising Leuconostoc carnosus.

[0012] Preferably, the plant material is prepared from legumes (such as soybeans, peas, beans, lupins and lentils) and / or cereals (such as oats, rice, corn and wheat).

[0013] In a second aspect, the present invention provides the use of a composition comprising Leuconostoc carnivorum (preferably DSM 34220 or a mutant thereof) for improving the flavor of an analog meat product prepared from plant material, preferably from legumes or cereals.

[0014] A third aspect is an artificial meat product prepared from beans and / or cereals, which contains Leuconostoc carnosus, such as DSM 34220 or a mutant thereof. Preferably, the product is present in a concentration of at least 10 5 CFU / g of Leuconostoc carnosus.

[0015] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 The increase in mesophilic aerobic counts in soy-based products at days 0, 8, 16, and 21 is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 The growth of lactic acid bacteria in soy-based products at days 0, 8, 16 and 21 is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 Yeast concentrations in soy-based products at days 0, 8, 16 and 21 are shown.

[0019] Figure 4 The pH changes in soy-based products at days 0, 8, 16 and 21 are shown.

[0020] Figure 5 Shown are cell counts of artificially inoculated Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) in soy-based products at days 0, 10, and 21.

[0021] Figure 6 Shown are cell counts of artificially inoculated B. cereus in soy-based products at day 0, day 10, and day 21.

[0022] Figure 7 Shown are the percent changes in the levels of diacetyl, valeraldehyde, furfural, hexanal, benzaldehyde, and 2-pentylfuran in the control batches and batches inoculated with Leuconostoc carnosus or Lactobacillus curvatus at day 21 compared to the day 0 control in soy-based products.

[0023] Figure 8 The increase in mesophilic aerobic counts in pea-based products at days 0, 8, 16 and 21 is shown.

[0024] Fig. 9 The growth of lactic acid bacteria in pea-based products at days 0, 8, 16 and 21 is shown.

[0025] Fig.10 The pH development in the pea-based preparations at days 0, 8, 16 and 21 is shown.

[0026] Fig.11 Shown are cell counts of artificially inoculated Listeria monocytogenes in pea-based products at days 0, 10, and 21. Asterisks indicate concentrations greater than 4 Log cfu / g.

[0027] Fig.12 Cell counts of artificially inoculated Bacillus cereus in pea-based preparations at day 0, day 10, and day 21 are shown.

[0028] Fig.13 Shown are the percent changes in the levels of 1-penten-3-olvaleraldehyde, hexanal, 2-hexenal, 2-heptenal, octanal, 2-octenal and nonanal in the control batches and batches inoculated with Leuconostoc carnosus or Lactobacillus curvatum at day 21 compared to the control at day 0 in pea-based products.

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Leuconostoc carnosum is a lactic acid bacterium that thrives in an anaerobic environment at a temperature of about 2°C. This slime-forming bacterium is known to spoil vacuum-packaged meat, but it is not pathogenic (Bjorkroth et al., "Identification and characterization of Leuconostoc carnosum, associated with production and spoilage of vacuum-packaged, sliced, cooked ham." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 64.9 (1998): 3313-3319). In meat products, spoilage caused by Leuconostoc carnosum produces organoleptic changes such as sourness, gas formation and / or slime formation.

[0031] However, the inventors of the present application have discovered a new use of Leuconostoc meat in improving the flavor of artificial meat products. More specifically, the inventors were surprised to find that Leuconostoc meat can reduce the level of off-flavor compounds in plant-produced artificial meat products. In general, aldehydes are associated with the formation of off-flavors, which are described as beany in plant-based products (Yang et al., "Sensory evaluation of oils / fats and oil / fat-based foods." Oxidative stability and shelf life of foods containing oils and fats. AOCS Press, 2016. 157-185.).

[0032] As shown in the examples, treatment of plant material with Leuconostoc carnosus was able to reduce aldehyde content, particularly hexanal and valeraldehyde. Hexanal is reported to be the main molecule responsible for the perception of green and herbal off-flavors in soy protein isolate (ElYoussef et al. "Sensory improvement of a pea protein-based product using microbial co-cultures of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts." Foods 9.3(2020):349).

[0033] In addition, Leuconostoc carnivorum has been found to reduce the volatile compound diacetyl. Diacetyl is an important aromatic compound in butter, margarine, sour cream, yogurt and several cheeses. However, this compound produces butter, caramel and sweet notes, which consumers do not like in artificial meat products. In addition, diacetyl is considered an important contributor to off-flavor and spoilage in meat products (Holm, ES, et al. "Identification of chemical markers for the sensory shelf-life of saveloy." Meat science 90.2 (2012): 314-322).

[0034] The products treated with Leuconostoc carnosus were found to reduce furfural and benzaldehyde, which are associated with sweet and almond flavors. A higher reduction in furfural and benzaldehyde was seen compared to the control.

[0035] In addition, products treated with Leuconostoc carnosus were found to reduce the levels of compounds associated with bean and grassy notes, including aldehydes (such as valeraldehyde, hexanal, octanal and nonanal) and monounsaturated aldehydes (such as 2-hexenal, 2-heptenal and 2-octenal), as well as 1-penten-3-ol, which also imparts bean and green notes.

[0036] Artificial meat products (or simply "artificial meat") are products used as culinary substitutes for meat products.

[0037] Examples of artificial meat include artificial meat patties, sausages, schnitzels, meatballs, meat strips, ham, steaks, whole cuts of meat, deli meat, hamburgers, jerky, bacon and the like.

[0038] It should be noted that "meat analogs" as used herein do not refer to dairy products or dairy analogs, as such products are not generally considered culinary substitutes for meat.

[0039] The present invention provides a method for preparing an analog meat product, comprising the following steps: a) providing a starting material prepared from a plant material, and b) inoculating a composition containing Leuconostoc carnivorum into the starting material.

[0040] Step a) Providing a base material

[0041] In order to implement the present invention, a suitable starting material is provided. This is a starting material comprising a material prepared from a plant, preferably having a high content of plant protein and / or plant fiber. Such material may be subjected to chemical or enzymatic treatment or other preparation steps, for example to increase its texture or nutritional content.

[0042] Preferably, the plant material comprises legumes (such as soya, peas, beans, lupines and lentils) and / or cereals (such as oats, rice, corn and wheat). More preferably, the plant material comprises material prepared from soya or peas. The starting material preferably does not comprise material obtained from animals.

[0043] The term "legume" refers to any plant belonging to the family Leguminosae. Leguminosae is a large and economically important family of flowering plants, commonly known as the legume family, pea family, bean family, or pulse family. Various different legumes are edible. Legumes typically have a pod or shell that opens along two slits when the legume seeds mature. The Leguminosae family includes more than 750 genera and between 16,000 and 19,000 species.

[0044] Examples of "legumes" include peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan), chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), soybeans (Glycine max), lentils (Lens culinaris), lupins (Lupinus spp.), peas (Pisum sativum), garden peas (Pisum arvense), beans (Phaseolus spp.), common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and their various varieties and variants, vetches (Vicia spp.), broad beans (Vicia faba), beans (Vigna spp.), cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), adzuki beans (Vigna angularis), and Bambara beans (Voandzeia subterranea).

[0045] The term "cereal" refers to both true cereals and pseudocereals. True cereals refer to the seeds of plants in the grass family. Examples of true cereals include oats (Avena sativa), rye (Secale cereale), rice (Oryza spp., such as Oryza sativa), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), triticale (Triciale), millet (such as Eleusine coracana), millet (Setaria italica), kodomillet (Paspalum scrobiculatum), foxtail millet (Panicum miliaceum), barnyard grass (Echinochloa spp.), fonio (Digitaria exilis), teff (Eragrostistef), barley (Hordeum vulgare), corn (Zea mays), and wheat (Triticum spp., such as common wheat (Triticum aestivum), durum wheat (Triticum durum), compact wheat (Triticum compactum), kamut wheat (Triticum turanicum), and spelt (Triticum spelta).

[0046] Pseudocereals are seeds of plants that are not in the grass family but are used in much the same way as cereals. Examples of pseudocereals include quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor), bread nuts (Brosimum alicastrum), and acacia seeds (Acacia spp.).

[0047] In preferred embodiments, the plant material comprises at least 10% protein, such as at least 12%, at least 15%, at least 17%, at least 20% protein, at least 25% protein.

[0048] Step b) inoculating the starting material with a composition comprising Leuconostoc carnosus

[0049] The method according to the invention comprises inoculating a starting material with a composition comprising a strain of Leuconostoc carnosus. It should be understood that one or more strains of Leuconostoc carnosus may be used, such as 2, 3, 4, 5 or more strains. As used herein, the term "strain" has its conventional meaning in the field of microbiology and refers to a genetic variant of the bacterium.

[0050] The Leuconostoc carnivorum of the present invention can be used in fermented artificial meat products and non-fermented artificial meat products.

[0051] One skilled in the art will be able to determine appropriate inoculum concentrations using routine methods and in light of the present description and examples.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, Leuconostoc carnosus is present at 10 4 CFU / g-10 9 CFU / g product range, for example, 10 4 CFU / g-10 9 CFU / g product range, for example, 10 5 CFU / g-10 9 CFU / g product range, for example, 10 5 CFU / g-10 8 In this preferred embodiment, the strain of Leuconostoc carnosus of the present invention is inoculated at a concentration of 10 CFU / g product. 7 The concentration of CFU / g product was added.

[0053] Inoculation can be carried out at a temperature of 2°C-30°C. In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises fermenting the starting material. Fermentation can be carried out at a temperature of 2°C-25°C, such as 2°C-20°C. In some preferred embodiments, the fermentation temperature is 4°C-15°C. In a preferred embodiment, the fermentation temperature is carried out at 20°C-40°C (such as 30°C-37°C).

[0054] Preferably, the Leuconostoc carnivorum remains active in the product during the shelf life of the analog meat product, preferably at least 10 days, such as at least 15 days, such as at least 20 days.

[0055] The composition is applied to the starting material by methods known in the art. As used herein, the term "inoculation" refers to the act of contacting the composition with the starting material and allowing bacteria to grow in the material. This can be accomplished, for example, by spraying the composition on the material or by pouring the composition on the material, with an optional step of mixing the composition and the starting material.

[0056] In addition, the composition comprising Leuconostoc carnosus and optionally yeast and / or bacteria may be in frozen, liquid or dry form, including freeze-dried forms and spray / fluidized bed dried forms, or frozen or freeze-dried concentrates. In a preferred embodiment, the composition is freeze-dried and diluted in water and then sprayed onto the starting material.

[0057] Leuconostoc carnosus is able to reduce off-flavor compounds in plant materials including hexanal and valeraldehyde.

[0058] In some embodiments, hexanal is reduced by at least 10%, such as at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0059] In some embodiments, valeraldehyde is reduced by at least 10%, such as at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0060] In some embodiments, diacetyl is reduced by at least 10%, such as at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0061] In some embodiments, benzaldehyde is reduced by at least 10%, such as at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0062] In some embodiments, furfural is reduced by at least 10%, e.g., at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0063] In some embodiments, octanal is reduced by at least 10%, such as at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0064] In some embodiments, nonanal is reduced by at least 10%, such as at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0065] In some embodiments, 2-hexenal is reduced by at least 10%, e.g., at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0066] In some embodiments, 2-heptenal is reduced by at least 10%, such as at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0067] In some embodiments, 2-octenal is reduced by at least 10%, e.g., at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0068] In some embodiments, 1-penten-3-ol is reduced by at least 10%, such as at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 55%, or at least 60%.

[0069] In the context of volatile compounds such as hexanal, valeraldehyde, diacetyl, benzaldehyde and furfural, the term "reduced" means that the content of these compounds is lower in a product prepared using Leuconostoc carnosus compared to the same product prepared in the same way but without the use of Leuconostoc carnosus.

[0070] The volatile compounds described herein can be measured using methods known in the art, including gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC x GC-MS).

[0071] Preferably, Leuconostoc carnosus DSM 34220 or a mutant thereof is used. DSM 34220 can also reduce harmful microorganisms, such as spoilage bacteria or pathogens in the product. The term "spoilage bacteria" as used herein refers to any type of bacteria that spoils food. The term "foodborne pathogens" refers to any food poisoning bacteria that can cause disease or illness in animals or humans. Examples of spoilage bacteria and pathogens include Bacillus and Listeria, etc.

[0072] The term "mutant" is understood to mean a strain derived from the meat of the present invention by means of, for example, genetic engineering, radiation and / or chemical treatment. A mutant is a functionally equivalent mutant, for example, a mutant having substantially the same or improved properties as the parent strain. In this context, the mutant of the present invention is preferably a mutant having the same or improved properties in terms of flavor improvement. Such mutants are part of the present invention. The mutant may be a strain obtained by subjecting the strain of the present invention to any conventionally used mutagenic treatment (including treatment with chemical mutagens such as ethane methane sulfonate (EMS) or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitroguanidine (NTG), UV light treatment), or a spontaneously generated mutant. The mutant may have undergone several mutagenic treatments (a single treatment is understood to be a mutagenic step followed by a screening / selection step), but it is currently preferred to perform no more than 1000, no more than 100, no more than 20, no more than 10 or no more than 5 treatments. In currently preferred mutants, less than 5% or less than 1% or even less than 0.1% of the nucleotides in the bacterial genome are altered (e.g., by substitution, insertion, deletion, or a combination thereof) compared to the parent strain. Functionally equivalent mutants can reduce hexanal or valeraldehyde compared to the parent strain tested under the same conditions.

[0073] The use of other strains of Leuconostoc carnosus is also within the scope of the present application.

[0074] The composition used in the present application comprises, in addition to Leuconostoc carnosus as deposited under DSM 34220, other yeasts such as Debaryomyces hansenii or Pichia kluyveri and / or other bacteria such as Pediococcus, Lactococcus and Staphylococcus, preferably coagulase negative. In some preferred embodiments, the bacteria are lactic acid bacteria or Lactobacillus spp.

[0075] In a preferred embodiment, the composition further comprises Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus curvatus, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentocaseus, Staphylococcus carnosus, Staphylococcus xylosus and / or Staphylococcus vitulinus.

[0076] More preferably, the composition further comprises Lactococcus lactis deposited as DSM 11037, Lactobacillus sakei deposited as DSM 14022, Lactobacillus curvatum deposited as DSM 18775, Pediococcus acidilactici deposited as DSM 28307, Staphylococcus carnosus DSM 25010 or DSM 32779, Staphylococcus xylosus DSM 28308 and / or Staphylococcus bovis DSM 25789.

[0077] In other embodiments, the composition comprises only Leuconostoc carnosus, and thus Leuconostoc carnosus is the only bacteria applied to the starting material.

[0078] The plant material treated with Leuconostoc carnosus can be subjected to further processing steps, such as fermentation with another microorganism as a starter. Additional fermentation steps can be performed. During the preparation process, the skilled person in the art is able to adjust other parameters known to him to obtain the desired end product.

[0079] In other aspects, the present invention also provides an analog meat product obtained by the method described herein. The analog meat product comprises Leuconostoc carnosus, such as DSM 34220, and optionally, further comprises yeast and / or bacteria as described herein.

[0080] In a further aspect, the present invention provides a meat analog product comprising Leuconostoc carnivorum, preferably at a concentration of at least 10 5 CFU / g, for example at least 10 6 CFU / g, at least 10 7 CFU / g, at least 10 8 CFU / g or higher.

[0081] The present invention is particularly suitable for preparing artificial meat products from plant-derived materials. Included herein are legumes (such as soybeans) and / or cereals (oats, rice, corn or wheat). Preferred legumes include soybeans, peas, beans, lupines, lentils.

[0082] Artificial meat made from soy has been known for some time. However, it has always faced the challenge of off-flavors such as beany taste (a taste that Western consumers are not used to) and is a barrier to consumption.

[0083] An important aspect of the applicant is the use of meat leuconostoc to improve the flavor of artificial meat products. The term "improving the flavor of a product" means making the product more palatable than a product produced in the same manner but not inoculated with leuconostoc. Evaluation can be performed by sensory evaluation using techniques known in the art, such as descriptive analysis by trained panelists (Lawless et al., "Sensory Evaluation of Food: Practices and Principals." Food Science Texts Series. Chapman and Hall, New York (2010)). Evaluation can also be performed by volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis of flavor compounds as described herein.

[0084] According to the present invention, Leuconostoc carnivorum can be used to reduce the levels of some undesirable volatile compounds in plant-based meat substitute products. It has been found that the levels of hexanal, valeraldehyde, diacetyl, benzaldehyde and furfural are reduced.

[0085] Thus, the present invention provides the use of Leuconostoc carnosus to reduce the content of hexanal, valeraldehyde, diacetyl, benzaldehyde and / or furfural in analog meat products prepared from plant materials (such as legumes or cereals). In a preferred embodiment, these uses involve inoculating a composition comprising Leuconostoc carnosus into a plant-based starting material and allowing the bacteria to grow in the material.

[0086] The present invention utilizes a composition comprising Leuconostoc carnosus, which may optionally further comprise additional yeast and / or bacterial strains. The composition is preferably a high density culture, more preferably in frozen, dried or lyophilized form. However, the composition may also be a liquid obtained by suspending a frozen, dried or lyophilized cell concentrate in a liquid medium such as water or PBS buffer.

[0087] When the composition of the present invention is a suspension, the concentration of living cells is 10 7 Up to 10 10 The range of cfu (colony forming units) includes at least 10 per ml of composition. 7 cfu, such as at least 10 8 cfu / ml, for example at least 10 9 cfu / ml, such as at least 10 10 cfu / ml.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, the composition as a high density culture may have at least 10 9 CFU / g (colony forming units (CFU) / g), such as at least 10 10 CFU / g, such as at least 10 11 CFU / g, such as at least 1012 CFU / g, such as at least 10 13 The viable cell concentration is CFU / g.

[0089] The composition of the present invention may further comprise a cryoprotectant, a lyoprotectant, an antioxidant, a nutrient, a filler, a spice or a mixture thereof. The composition may be in a frozen or lyophilized form. The composition preferably comprises one or more of a cryoprotectant, a lyoprotectant, an antioxidant and / or a nutrient, more preferably a cryoprotectant, a lyoprotectant and / or an antioxidant, and most preferably a cryoprotectant or a lyoprotectant, or both. The use of protective agents such as cryoprotectants and lyoprotectants is known to those skilled in the art. Suitable cryoprotectants or lyophilizing protectants include monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides and polysaccharides (e.g. glucose, mannose, xylose, lactose, sucrose, trehalose, raffinose, maltodextrin, starch and gum arabic (acacia), etc.), polyols (e.g. erythritol, glycerol, inositol, mannitol, sorbitol, threitol, xylitol, etc.), amino acids (e.g. proline, glutamic acid), complex substances (e.g. skim milk, peptone, gelatin, yeast extract) and inorganic compounds (e.g. sodium tripolyphosphate). Suitable antioxidants include ascorbic acid, citric acid and its salts, gallates, cysteine, sorbitol, mannitol, maltose. Suitable nutrients include carbohydrates, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, trace elements, vitamins (e.g. vitamin B group, vitamin C). The composition may optionally contain additional substances, including fillers (e.g. lactose, maltodextrin) and / or spices.

[0090] In another aspect, the present application provides a plant-based meat analog product comprising Leuconostoc carnivorum, in particular DSM 34220. Preferably, such products are meat patties, sausages, schnitzels, meatballs, meat strips, ham, steaks, whole cuts of meat, deli meat, burgers, jerky, bacon and the like made from beans and / or cereals.

[0091] The manufacture of meat substitutes aims to create a meat structure, a meat appearance, and to create a meat flavor. The characteristic and main feature of edible meat is its fiber structure and texture.

[0092] In a preferred embodiment, the plant material is structured by plant proteins to simulate the consistency of meat products. Such methods are known in the art and are described, for example, in Dekkers, "Structuring processes for meat analogues." Trends in Food Science & Technology 81 (2018): 25-36. Known methods include extrusion, shear trough and fiber spinning.

[0093] Extrusion is a well-established technology in the food industry, originally designed in the 1930s for the manufacture of pasta products. The process involves passing the food mixture through a die, applying heat and pressure to deform and shape it, and using mechanical shearing to obtain the desired size. A typical extrusion process can be divided into three steps, namely, initial preparation of the food material before adding it to the extruder, then cooking and mixing the ingredients together to obtain a uniform texture within the barrel of the extruder, and finally cooling the resulting product to retain its final shape.

[0094] Shear cell technology is a recently introduced, more energy-efficient structuring process. The method is inspired by the effect of shear flow on dough and is effective for producing meat analogs when run at elevated temperatures. Shear-induced structuring can be achieved by shear cell technology. Depending on the processing conditions, fibrous, lamellar or homogenous samples can be obtained.

[0095] In the textile industry, fiber spinning technology is developed from the spinning fiber method and is used to make synthetic fibers. Fibers are made by producing filaments from proteins used as starting materials. The method first disperses the protein into a dispersion medium (such as an alkaline aqueous solution). The dispersion is then fed through a spinning head (a device for extruding a polymer solution to form fibers) and deposited into an acidic salt solution. After leaving the small die of the spinning head, the filaments will be stretched and elongated until the average thickness is about 20 microns. Excess salt solution is then removed from the fiber by extrusion or centrifugation before further processing. After the drying process, an edible adhesive is added, which physically binds the fibers together by acting as an adhesive or as a matrix for fiber embedding. The fibers are then passed through a molten fat bath and pressed together, and then cut into suitable lengths.

[0096] ***

[0097] In the context of describing the present invention (especially in the context of the following claims), the use of the terms "a, an" and "said / the" and similar references should be interpreted as covering the singular and plural, unless otherwise specified herein or clearly contradicted by the context. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "comprising", "having", "including" and "containing" should be interpreted as open terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to,"). Unless otherwise specified herein, the description of the numerical range herein is intended only as a shorthand method for referring to each individual numerical value within the range individually, and each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were described separately herein. Unless otherwise specified herein or clearly contradicted by the context, all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order. The use of any and all embodiments or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is intended only to better illustrate the present invention, rather than to limit the scope of the present invention, unless otherwise required. Any language in the specification should not be interpreted as indicating that any unrequired element is essential to the practice of the present invention.

[0098] Preservation and Expert Solutions

[0099] The applicant requests that, in accordance with existing regulations of industrial property offices of contracting states of the Budapest Treaty, samples of the deposited microorganisms described below may only be provided to experts before the date of grant of the patent.

[0100] Table 1: Deposit made with a depository institution that has been granted the status of an international depository institution under the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure: Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms, Inhofenstrasse 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.

[0101] strain Accession Number Date of deposit Lactococcus lactis DSM 11037 1996.06.26 Lactobacillus sakei DSM 14022 2001.01.31 Lactobacillus curvature DSM 18775 2006.11.09 Staphylococcus carnosus DSM 25010 2011.07.12 Staphylococcus calves DSM 25789 2012.03.15 Pediococcus acidilactici DSM 28307 2014.01.30 Staphylococcus xylosus DSM 28308 2014.01.30 Staphylococcus carnosus DSM 32779 2018.03.20 Leuconostoc carnosus DSM 34220 2022.03.08 Example

[0102] Plant-based meat analogs are sensitive products with a short shelf life even at refrigerated temperatures. In addition, they may be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus. They may also have unpleasant off-flavors.

[0103] The following examples demonstrate the advantages of Leuconostoc carnosus compared to Lactobacillus curvatus (a bacterial culture for meat products described in EP2132297B) in improving the overall quality of plant-based artificial meat emulsions made from soy or pea.

[0104] A. Soy-based products

[0105] A.1. Materials and methods

[0106] A.1.1 Starting materials

[0107] Freshly produced artificial minced meat prepared from soybeans (containing water, soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, methylcellulose, soy protein isolate, vinegar, starch, spices, salt, coloring) was used as starting material.

[0108] A.1.2 Preparation

[0109] The following 3 batches were prepared from the starting materials as follows:

[0110] Batch 1 – Control without bacterial culture inoculation

[0111] Batch 2 – Inoculation with bacterial culture of Leuconostoc carnosus DSM 34220

[0112] Batch 3 - inoculated with a bacterial culture of Lactobacillus curvatum DSM 18775.

[0113] The bacterial culture was provided in lyophilized form and diluted in cold tap water (<12°C) and mixed to obtain a homogenous bacterial suspension. The suspension was then added to the starting material at a ratio of 1% (v / w) and mixed to distribute the bacteria evenly within the starting material. The inoculum range was 6.7 Log cfu / g to 7.0 Log cfu / g.

[0114] After proper mixing, the samples were packaged and stored at 7°C under modified atmosphere conditions (70% N2 and 30% CO2) for 21 days for shelf life studies, challenge tests and volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis.

[0115] A.1.3.1 Shelf life study

[0116] Samples were taken from batches 1-3 on day 0, day 8, day 16 and day 21 and analyzed for the following microorganisms (3 replicates) using the ISO international count standard:

[0117] - Lactic acid bacteria (LAB, ISO 15214:1998),

[0118] - Mesophilic aerobic bacteria count (MAC, ISO 4833-1:2013) and

[0119] - Yeasts and moulds (ISO 21527-1:2008).

[0120] MAC is counted to provide an overall estimate of the bacterial flora present in the product. LAB is counted to assess the growth of food cultures at day 0 and thereafter. LAB counts can also be compared to MAC to assess whether LAB is the dominant flora in different batches of product. Yeasts and molds are known to be major spoilers of plant-based products.

[0121] A.1.3.2 Challenge test with Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus

[0122] On day 0, additional samples from batches 1, 2 and 3 were inoculated with a mixture of 2 strains of Listeria monocytogenes or a mixture of 2 strains of Bacillus cereus at physiological stages of cold and starvation stress, resulting in an initial bacterial concentration close to 2.0 Log cfu / g.

[0123] On days 0, 10 and 21, the Listeria or Bacillus cell counts and some physicochemical parameters were measured using the indicator method:

[0124] - Listeria monocytogenes (BRD 07 / 17-01 / 09) or Bacillus spores level (ISO 7932:2004) (3 replicates)

[0125] - pH (1 replicate / day 0, 10 and 21, NF V04-408), and

[0126] - Water activity (1 replicate at day 0, ISO 21807:2005).

[0127] A.1.4 Volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis

[0128] Prior to VOC measurements, samples from batches 1-3 at day 0 and day 21 were further cooked using the following steps:

[0129] 1. Knead the sample without opening the bag to avoid contamination during homogenization

[0130] 2.Put 400g of sample evenly into the foil pan and shape it

[0131] 3. Place the thermometer in the center of the sample

[0132] 4. Place the foil pan with the sample on the furnace grate (furnace setting: 160°C, air circulation)

[0133] 5. Bake until the core temperature reaches 90°C, and

[0134] 6. Cut the final product into slices of approximately 1.5 cm thickness and dispense 3 grams of sample into 20 mL headspace vials for VOC analysis. Cap the vials tightly and store at -18°C until analysis. Samples were prepared in triplicate.

[0135] Then, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed by headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The instrument was a multi-purpose injector (Gerstel, MSCI, Skovlunde, Denmark) with a 7890B GC (Agilent Technologies, Denmark) and a 5977AMS (Agilent Technologies, Denmark). VOCs were extracted by SPME at 60°C for 20 min using a DVB / Car / PDMS fiber (Supelco #57299, VWR, Denmark) and desorbed without splitting at 270°C onto a TenaxTA pad (Gerstel #012438, MSCI, Skovlunde, Denmark) maintained at -30°C. After fiber desorption, the TenaxTA packing liner was heated to 300°C and the captured VOCs were transferred and separated without splitting on a DB-5MS UI column 30m×0.25mm×1μm (Agilent#122-5533UI, Agilent Technologies, Denmark) using helium as a carrier gas at a constant pressure of 170kPa. The oven temperature program was as follows: starting from 32°C / 2min – increasing to 102°C@10°C / min – further increasing to 145°C@5°C / min – further increasing to 200°C@15°C / min – further increasing to 200°C@15°C / min – further increasing to 280°C@20°C / min – maintaining at 280°C for 5min. The mass spectrometer was operated in electron impact mode at -70eV, and the scan range of the analyzer was 29amu-209amu.

[0136] VOCs were identified using NIST 17 library search and retention index. Feature extraction was performed using MassHunter Quantitative Analysis (version 10.1, Build 10.1.733.0, Agilent Technologies, Denmark), and the results were calculated as peak height divided by baseline noise (signal-to-noise ratio).

[0137] A.2 Results

[0138] A.2.1 Shelf life study

[0139] On day 0, the mesophilic aerobic count (MAC) level was lower in the control samples compared to the samples spiked with bacterial culture ( Figure 1 ). The addition of culture did increase MAC levels starting from day 0. In all batches, MAC levels increased until reaching a maximum concentration of 8Log cfu / g-8.5Log cfu / g.

[0140] This shows that the cultures tested are able to grow in plant-based products. The endogenous flora naturally present in such products is also able to grow significantly.

[0141] It can be observed that from day 0 to day 21, LAB was the main bacterial group in the samples containing cultures ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ). The added culture did grow on the agar medium used to enumerate MAC and LAB. In contrast, in the control batch, the LAB flora was not dominant on day 0 but became dominant starting from day 8 ( Figure 2 ).

[0142] The culture can significantly slow the growth of endogenous yeasts and molds ( Figure 3 ). Although the concentrations in all samples were below 2.5 Log cfu / g on day 0, a significant increase occurred in the control samples (reaching 4.0 Log cfu / g on day 21), while in the samples with cultures, the concentrations did not exceed 2.6 Log cfu / g.

[0143] A.2.2 Challenge test studies

[0144] A.2.2.1 Physical and chemical results

[0145] pH

[0146] The pH of the sample is Figure 4 At the beginning of the study, the pH was around 5.8. A slight decrease in pH (0.3 pH units - 0.4 pH units) was observed between day 0 and day 21. The addition of any bacterial culture did not significantly affect the final pH, but acidification was more rapid when added.

[0147] Water activity

[0148] The water activity is very high and is not affected by the addition of cultures. It is close to 0.99 and is therefore generally suitable for microbial growth throughout the shelf life of plant-based products.

[0149] A.2.2.2 Challenge test results

[0150] Listeria monocytogenes

[0151] During the 21 days of the study, stable L. monocytogenes counts were measured for the control batch. However, a decrease of 0.4 Log cfu / g was observed in the batch inoculated with L. curvatus ( Figure 5). Advantageously, with Leuconostoc carnosus, the reduction in pathogenic populations was even faster: in the first 10 days, the concentration dropped from 1.8 Log cfu / g to less than 0.9 Log cfu / g. On day 21, the concentration of Listeria monocytogenes dropped below the counting threshold again: it was 0.6 Log cfu / g, which means that the Listeria population had been reduced by at least 1.24 Log cfu / g compared to the concentration on day 0.

[0152] Bacillus cereus

[0153] After 21 days of shelf life at 7°C, the concentration of Bacillus cereus in the three test batches dropped from about 1.8 Log cfu / g to close to or below 0.6 Log cfu / g (the counting threshold) ( Figure 6 ). However, in the batches with inoculated cultures, the decline was significantly faster. In fact, on day 10, while the concentration of Bacillus cereus in the control was 1.4 Log cfu / g, for the samples containing Leuconostoc carnosus and Lactobacillus curvatus, the concentration had dropped to 0.8 Log cfu / g and 0.7 Log cfu / g, respectively.

[0154] A.2.3 VOC analysis results

[0155] Key volatile flavor metabolites were measured as described in Section A.1.4. Control batches at Day 0 and Day 21 were compared to batches inoculated with either Leuconostoc carnosus or Lactobacillus curvatus. Table 2 shows the volatile compounds that differed above the limit of quantitation (usually determined by a signal-to-noise value of 10). Figure 7 The reduction in compound levels compared to the control at day 21 is shown.

[0156] Table 2

[0157]

[0158] In Table 2, the results are presented as the mean of three replicates (expressed as signal-to-noise ratio), and the uncertainty of the measurement was calculated based on the standard deviation of these three replicates.

[0159] Aldehydes

[0160] In general, aldehydes are associated with off-flavor formation. They are often described as beany in soy-based products. As shown in the figure, valeraldehyde and hexanal, two key aldehydes that produce green and beany flavors, are reduced (see Table 2, Figure 7 ).

[0161] The results showed that the product inoculated with Leuconostoc carnosus had the lowest aldehyde content based on both compounds after 21 days compared to the control and the product inoculated with Lactococcus curvatus.

[0162] 2-Pentylfuran

[0163] Furan - 2-pentylfuran - is known to be the cause of the beany and grassy flavor of oxidized soybean oil (Chang et al. "Isolation and identification of 2-pentyl-furan as contributing to theversion flavor of soyabean oil." Chemistry & Industry 46 (1966): 1926-1927), and is also one of the molecules that cause off-flavors in soy products (Min et al. "Effect of soybean varieties and growing locations on the flavor of soymilk." Journal of Food Science 70.1 (2005): C1-C11).

[0164] On day 21, 2-pentylfuran increased in the control product. In contrast, the presence of this compound decreased if the product was inoculated with Leuconostoc carnosus.

[0165] Diacetyl

[0166] Diacetyl is considered to be an important factor in off-flavor and spoilage in meat products (Holm, ES, et al. "Identification of chemical markers for the sensory shelf-life of saveloy." Meat science 90.2 (2012): 314-322). It imparts butter, caramel and sweet flavors. In the present application, an increase in diacetyl was observed in the control. However, treatment with Leuconostoc carnivorum resulted in degradation of off-flavor compounds.

[0167] Furfural and benzaldehyde

[0168] Furfural is a product of the Maillard reaction and imparts sweetness, almond and bready flavors to the product (Bi et al. "Characterization of key aroma compounds in raw and roasted peas (Pisum sativum L.) by application of instrumental and sensory techniques." Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 68.9 (2020): 2718-2727). Furfural is reported to have a soy sauce-like taste (Xu et al. "HS-SPME-GC-MS / olfactometry combined with chemometrics to assess the impact of germination on flavor attributes of chickpea, lentil, and yellowpea flours." Food Chemistry 280 (2019): 83-95). In raw pea samples, benzaldehyde was identified as an aromatic active compound that produces an overall almond flavor (Bi et al., 2020). It imparts a strong, intense, sweet, bitter almond and cherry flavor. Both compounds are undesirable in artificial meat products due to their sweet and almond flavor contributions.

[0169] The results showed that furfural and benzaldehyde could be reduced to a greater extent when Leuconostoc carnosus was applied ( Fig. 9 ).

[0170] In summary, the use of Leuconostoc in artificial meat products can not only extend the shelf life, but also reduce the beany smell and other odors naturally produced by legumes, making plant-based products more attractive.

[0171] B. Pea-based products

[0172] B.1. Materials and methods

[0173] B.1.1 Starting materials

[0174] Freshly produced artificial meat paste was prepared from peas using the following method: First, the textured vegetable pea protein was diluted into water and mixed with the pigment. The dough was then ground (5 mm disk) and mixed again with additional water, ice and other ingredients (except fiber and coconut lipids).

[0175] Coconut fat (3mm disk) is ground separately before adding to the dough. Fiber is the last ingredient added and mixed until the right homogeneity.

[0176] The final material contains water, textured pea protein, coconut oil, sunflower oil, pea protein, citrus fiber, potassium lactate, tomato puree, methylcellulose, color, white pepper, black pepper, onion powder, mace, nutmeg salt, sunflower lecithin, and yeast extract.

[0177] B.1.2 Preparation

[0178] The following 3 batches were prepared from the starting materials:

[0179] Batch 1 – Control without bacterial culture inoculation

[0180] Batch 2 – Inoculation with bacterial culture of Leuconostoc carnosus DSM 34220

[0181] Batch 3 - inoculated with a bacterial culture of Lactobacillus curvatum DSM 18775.

[0182] The bacterial culture was provided in lyophilized form and diluted in cold tap water (<12°C) and mixed to obtain a homogenous bacterial suspension. The suspension was then added to the starting material at a ratio of 1% (v / w) and mixed to distribute the bacteria evenly within the starting material. The inoculum range was 6.7 Log cfu / g to 7.1 Log cfu / g.

[0183] After proper mixing, the samples were packaged and stored at 7°C under modified atmosphere conditions (70% N2 and 30% CO2) for 21 days for shelf life studies, challenge tests and volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis.

[0184] B.1.3.1 Shelf life study

[0185] Samples were taken from batches 1-3 on day 0, day 8, day 16 and day 21 and analyzed for the following microorganisms (3 replicates) using the ISO international count standard:

[0186] - Lactic acid bacteria (LAB, ISO 15214:1998),

[0187] - Mesophilic aerobic bacteria count (MAC, ISO 4833-1:2013)

[0188] - Yeasts and moulds (ISO 21527-1:2008).

[0189] MAC is counted to provide an overall estimate of the bacterial flora present in the product. LAB is counted to assess the growth of the food culture on day 0 and thereafter. LAB counts can also be compared to MAC to assess whether LAB is the predominant flora in different batches of product.

[0190] B.1.3.2 Challenge test with Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus

[0191] On day 0, additional samples from batches 1, 2 and 3 were inoculated with a mixture of 2 strains of Listeria monocytogenes or a mixture of 2 strains of Bacillus cereus at physiological stages of cold and starvation stress, resulting in an initial bacterial concentration close to 2.0 Log cfu / g.

[0192] On days 0, 10 and 21, the Listeria or Bacillus cell counts and some physicochemical parameters were measured using the indicator method:

[0193] - Listeria monocytogenes (BRD 07 / 17-01 / 09) or Bacillus spores level (ISO 7932:2004) (3 replicates)

[0194] - pH (1 replicate / day 0, 10 and 21, NF V04-408) and

[0195] - Water activity (1 replicate at day 0, ISO 21807:2005).

[0196] B.1.4 Volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis

[0197] As described above in Section A.1.4, batches 1-3 on day 0 and day 21 were further cooked prior to VOC measurements.

[0198] B.2 Results

[0199] B.2.1 Shelf life study

[0200] On day 0, MAC levels were lower in control samples compared to samples spiked with bacterial culture ( Figure 8 ). The addition of culture did increase MAC levels starting from day 0. In all batches, MAC levels increased until reaching a maximum concentration of 9 to 9.5 Log cfu / g.

[0201] This indicates that the cultures tested are able to grow in pea-based products. The endogenous flora naturally present in this product is also able to grow significantly.

[0202] It can be observed that from day 0 to day 21, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were the main bacterial group in the samples containing cultures ( Fig. 9 In contrast, LAB was not the dominant flora in the control at day 0 and, despite robust growth (+4.4 Log cfu / g over 21 days), was still not the dominant flora at day 21 ( Fig. 9 ).

[0203] During the shelf life study, yeast and mold concentrations of all samples were below the counting threshold (2.3 Log cfu / g) (figure not shown).

[0204] B.2.2 Challenge test studies

[0205] B.2.2.1 Physical and chemical results

[0206] pH

[0207] The pH of the sample is Fig.10 At the beginning of the study, the pH was around 6.6. A significant decrease in pH (1.0 pH unit - 1.6 pH unit) was observed from day 0 to day 21.

[0208] While there was no significant difference in the final pH between the control and the batches inoculated with L. curvatum, it decreased significantly when Leuconostoc carnosus was added.

[0209] Water activity

[0210] The water activity is very high and is not affected by the addition of cultures. It is close to 0.98-0.99 and is therefore generally suitable for microbial growth throughout the shelf life of plant-based products.

[0211] B.2.2.2 Challenge test results

[0212] Listeria monocytogenes

[0213] During the 21 days of the study, a significant increase in L. monocytogenes counts was measured in the control batch (+4.1 Log cfu / g). However, a decrease of 0.6 Log cfu / g was observed in the batch inoculated with L. curvatus ( Fig.11 Advantageously, when Leuconostoc carnosus was applied, the pathogenic population decreased even more rapidly: in the first 10 days, the concentration dropped from 2.1 to 0.6 Log cfu / g.

[0214] On day 21, when both test cultures were applied, the concentration of L. monocytogenes decreased by at least 0.9 Log cfu / g compared to the concentration on day 0.

[0215] Bacillus cereus

[0216] The concentration of Bacillus cereus was 3.0 cfu / g on day 0, which was higher than expected. In the batch inoculated with Leuconostoc carnosus, the concentration of Bacillus cereus in the three test batches decreased from about 3.0 Log cfu / g to less than 0.6 Log cfu / g (counting threshold) after 21 days of shelf life at 7°C ( Fig.12 ). However, in the batches inoculated with Lactobacillus curvatus and in the control batches, the decline was significantly slower and less strong. In fact, on day 21, the concentration of Bacillus cereus in the control was 1.3 Log cfu / g, while it was 2.3 Log cfu / g in the batch inoculated with Lactobacillus curvatus.

[0217] B.2.3 VOC analysis results

[0218] Key volatile flavor metabolites were measured as described in Section A.1.4. Control batches at Day 0 and Day 21 were compared to batches inoculated with either Leuconostoc carnosus or Lactobacillus curvatus at Day 21. Table 3 shows the volatile compounds that differed above the limit of quantitation (typically determined by a signal-to-noise ratio value of 10). Fig.13 The reduction in compound levels compared to the control at day 21 is shown.

[0219] Table 3

[0220]

[0221] In Table 3, the results are presented as the mean of three replicates (expressed as signal-to-noise ratio), and the uncertainty of the measurement was calculated based on the standard deviation of these three replicates.

[0222] Aldehydes

[0223] Saturated aldehydes come from the degradation of fatty acids and are associated with green, grassy, ​​and vegetable flavors in pea-based products (Xiang et al., Volatile compounds analysis and biodegradation strategy of beany flavor in pea protein, Food Chemistry 402, 134275 (2023)).

[0224] Valeraldehyde, hexanal, octanal and nonanal were significantly reduced (see Table 3, Fig.13 ). These compounds are associated with the beany and grassy flavors in plant proteins (Engels et al., "Metabolic Conversions by Lactic acid bacteria during Plant Protein Fermentations". Foods 11, 1005 (2022)).

[0225] A reduction in monounsaturated aldehydes such as 2-hexenal, 2-heptenal, and 2-octenal can also be observed, which are described as green and grassy in pea protein bases (Youseff et al. Sensory Improvement of a PeaProtein-Based Product Using Microbial Co-Cultures of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeasts, Foods 9, 349 (2022)). 2-Octenal is included in the list of key odorants associated with the aroma of pea preparations (Trindler et al., Aroma of peas, its constituents and reduction strategies–Effects from breeding to processing, Food Chemistry 376, 131892 (2022)).

[0226] As previously seen in soy, the results of this study showed that products inoculated with Leuconostoc carnosus had the lowest aldehyde content based on these compounds after 21 days compared to the control and to products inoculated with Lactococcus curvatus in pea-based products.

[0227] 1-Penten-3-ol

[0228] According to Xu et al. "HS-SPME-GC-MS / olfactometry combined with chemometrics to assess the impact of germination on flavor attributes of chickpea, lentil, and yellow pea flours, Food Chemistry 280, 83–9584 (2019); Youseff et al. Sensory Improvement of a Pea Protein-Based Product Using Microbial Co-Cultures of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeasts, Foods 9, 349 (2022)), 1-penten-3-ol has a beany and green taste.

[0229] On day 21, 1-penten-3-ol increased in the control product. In contrast, this compound was degraded when the product was inoculated with Leuconostoc carnosus.

[0230] In summary, the results show that the use of Leuconostoc carnivorus in pea-based meat analogs can not only extend the shelf life, but also reduce naturally occurring off-flavors such as beany and green flavors, which makes plant-based products more attractive.

Claims

1. A method for preparing an artificial meat product, comprising the following steps: a) providing a starting material prepared from plant material, and b) inoculating the starting material with a composition comprising Leuconostoc carnosum, preferably Leuconostoc carnosum deposited as DSM 34220, or a mutant thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plant material is prepared from legumes and / or cereals.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising mixing the starting material with the composition.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising fermenting the starting material.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the fermentation is carried out at 20°C-40°C, more preferably 30°C-37°C.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the Leuconostoc carnosus reduces hexanal in the starting material.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the Leuconostoc carnosus reduces valeraldehyde in the starting material.

8. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the Leuconostoc carnosus reduces diacetyl, benzaldehyde, furfural, octanal, nonanal, 2-hexenal, 2-heptenal and 2-octenal or 1-penten-3-ol in the starting material.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the Leuconostoc carnosus is Leuconostoc carnosus DSM 34220 or a mutant thereof.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composition comprises other bacteria and / or yeast.

11. An artificial meat product obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. Use of a composition comprising Leuconostoc carnosus, preferably DSM 34220 or a mutant thereof, for improving the flavor of an analog meat product prepared from plant material, preferably from legumes or cereals.

13. The use according to claim 12, wherein the Leuconostoc carnivorum reduces the content of hexanal, valeraldehyde, diacetyl, benzaldehyde, furfural, octanal, nonanal, 2-hexenal, 2-heptenal and 2-octenal and / or 1-penten-3-ol in an artificial meat product prepared from plant materials.

14. The use according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the composition has at least 10 4 CFU / g is the concentration of colony forming units (CFU) / g of viable cells.

15. An artificial meat product made from beans and / or cereals, comprising at least 10 5 CFU / g Leuconostoc carnosus, preferably Leuconostoc carnosus DSM 34220 or a mutant thereof.

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