V.RMH.0114 - Review paper: Beyond meat to quality ingredient component strategy

Summary

Consumers are increasingly aware of the health benefits that protein consumption can offer, such as weight management and prevention of muscle loss. However, protein additives have also long been valued by food developers for other properties, such as their ability to gel, foam, emulsify and form films and dough structures.

This project investigated the opportunity to utilise low value red meat as an ingredient in the wider food industry. A literature review and a series of interviews with leading ingredient manufacturers and food technology experts to provide commercial ‘voice of customer’ for a 'meat as an ingredient' strategy, were also undertaken.

The project identified six high value opportunity spaces for harvesting red meat components as quality ingredients, and other trends such as sustainable processing to produce these ingredients, and what, if any, benefits these would return to the Australian red meat industry.

Objectives

The objectives of this project were to:

• summarise megatrends and consumer insights associated with meat as an ingredient
• develop an application/use framework for attributes and end-use to create an applications tool
• recommend opportunities to unlock higher value for low value red meat as an ingredient.

Key findings

This project investigated the opportunity to utilise low value meat as an ingredient in the wider food industry.

The project identified six high value opportunity spaces for harvesting red meat components as quality ingredient components:

• Australian functional collagen peptides range
• bone broth
• enzyme processing of rendering feedstock into high value ingredients
• protein powders and drinks for sports and lifestyle
• beef and collagen chips
• extracting Australian sheep collagen for the nutraceutical markets.

Benefits to industry

This project helps bring to life red meat as a high value ingredient and demonstrates, to the Australian red meat sector, new pathways for adding value to the carcase.

MLA action

As a result of this project, MLA will:

• scope and fund a project to develop a process to produce Australian functional collagen peptides from Australian beef and sheep hides for the food and nutraceutical markets, with Gelita Australia and Krumbled Foods
• work with a commercial company to develop and commercialise a meat and/or bone broth
• scope and fund a project to develop an enzyme process to extract Australian collagen from Australian sheep hides, for the nutraceutical markets
• work with Blu Oak Innovation and Earlee Products to develop and commercialise a red meat or collagen chip.

Future research

Future research could provide:

• product development design teams with access to additional sources of available protein
• clarity of competitor activity and key points of specification and functionality from the lens of an ingredient supplier or food technologist.

Related Resources

MLA publications

• Meat Powder and Hydrolysis (stage 2), MLA final report, 22 October 2018
• Desktop review on emerging technology platforms to tenderise raw and cooked meat, MLA final report, 1 August 2017
• Utilisation of blood and blood components in pet foods, MLA final report, 1 September 2013
• Development of novel technology to manufacture blood derived functional ingredients, MLA final report, 1 March 2009