Adding encapsulated fats to plant-based meat
2019-2021
To produce juicier products, Dr. San Martin is incorporating oil into plant-based meat with oleogels and encapsulated fats.
PRODUCTION PLATFORM: Plant-based
TECHNOLOGY SECTOR: End product formulation and manufacturing
Project aims
This project characterizes and prepares oleogels for use in plant-based meat. It evaluates the cooking and sensory experience of plant-based meat with oleogels, which will enable better incorporation of fats into plant-based products.
This research will create plant-based meat with a sensory profile closer to that of animal meat. The work will also generate open publications and research protocols that will help emerging plant-based meat companies improve their products.
Principal researcher
Dr. Ricardo San Martin
Research Director and Industry Fellow, Alt.Meat Program, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Dr. San Martin is a professor of engineering with understanding of colloid chemistry, scaling up and costing of processing plants, and lab-to-market strategy. He directs research for the Alt.Meat Program at UC Berkeley, a program that allows students to explore entrepreneurial opportunities in alternatives to animal meat. He is also the co-founder of Natural Response in Chile, which is dedicated to the production of plant extracts.
Alt: Meat Lab at UC Berkeley
Check out Dr. Ricardo San Martin’s Alt: Meat Lab at UC Berkeley.
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