Raw Meat-Like Meat Alternative With Surface Fat Patterning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current meat alternatives do not resemble livestock meat in the form of a chunk of raw meat, lacking the appearance and texture desired by consumers.
Innovation Solution
A raw meat-like meat alternative is created with a lean meat-like portion and a fat-like portion, where the fat-like portion covers at least 3% of the surface area with a minor axis of 1 mm or more and a major axis three times the minor axis, containing oil and/or fat with a melting point of 10°C or higher, and optionally encapsulated in a gel, to mimic the appearance of raw livestock meat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If meat alternatives are made to resemble ground livestock meat or finely shredded meat, then the production process becomes simpler and manufacturing is easier, but the appearance does not match the desired chunk of raw meat form
Solution Approach 1:
The meat alternative is divided into distinct functional components: a lean meat-like portion containing vegetable proteins and a separate fat-like portion containing oils and fats. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity resembling a chunk of raw meat.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the meat alternative are assigned different properties: the lean meat-like portion provides the base structure with sponge-like or fibrous texture, while the fat-like portion is strategically placed on the surface with specific area ratios and dimensional characteristics to replicate the appearance of raw meat fat marbling and surface fat.
2Shape
If the fat-like portion is made with larger area coverage, then the resemblance to raw meat improves, but the structural integrity and manufacturing precision become more difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the fat-like portion: area ratio of 3% or more of total surface area, minor axis of 1 mm or more, and major axis at least 3 times the minor axis. These parameter definitions provide clear manufacturing targets while allowing flexibility within ranges to achieve the desired appearance without excessive precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The fat-like portion is designed to copy the key visual characteristics of fat in raw livestock meat chunks, including the area distribution, elongated shape (major axis ≥ 3 × minor axis), and surface positioning. This copying approach captures the essential appearance features without requiring exact replication of natural fat distribution patterns.
3Adaptability or versatility
If vegetable proteins are used to create the lean meat-like portion, then health benefits and meat alternative authenticity improve, but the texture and appearance resemblance to real meat becomes more challenging to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The lean meat-like portion is designed with a sponge-like porous structure that mimics the internal architecture of real meat tissue. This porous morphology, combined with fibrous vegetable protein arrangements, creates light scattering and textural properties that resemble raw meat, enhancing visual and tactile authenticity while maintaining health benefits of plant-based ingredients.
Solution Approach 2:
The lean meat-like portion combines multiple vegetable protein sources and components to create a composite material with enhanced meat-like properties. By integrating different protein materials and structural elements, the composition achieves superior texture and appearance resemblance compared to single-ingredient plant proteins.
Data Source
AI summary
A raw meat-like meat alternative, including a lean meat-like portion and a fat-like portion, wherein: an area of the fat-like portion on a surface is 3% or more with respect to an entire surface area; and the fat-like portion on the surface includes a portion having a minor axis of 1 mm or more and having a major axis of the fat-like portion on the surface of 3.0 or more times the minor axis; and a method for producing the raw meat-like meat alternative.