Technological challenges and future perspectives of plant-based meat analogues: From the viewpoint of proteins

[Display omitted] •The texture of PBMA can be improved by processing technologies and raw materials.•Plant-based flavorings can be employed to improve unpleasant flavor of PBMA.•Leghemoglobin and plant-derived pigments can be utilized to improved color.•Nutritional profile of PBMA can be enhanced by optimizing the ratio of amino acids. The global demand for high-quality animal protein faces challenges, prompting a surge in interest in plant-based meat analogues (PBMA). PBMA have emerged as a promising solution, although they encounter technological obstacles. This review discusses the technological challenges faced by PBMA from the viewpoint of plant proteins, emphasizing textural, flavor, color, and nutritional aspects. Texturally, PBMA confront issues, such as deficient fibrous structure, chewiness, and juiciness. Addressing meat flavor and mitigating beany flavor in plant protein are imperative. Furthermore, achieving a distinctive red or pink meat color remains a challenge. Plant proteins exhibit a lower content of essential amino acids. Future research directions encompass (1) shaping myofibril fibrous structures through innovative processing; (2) effectively eliminating the beany flavor; (3) developing biotechnological methodologies for leghemoglobin and plant-derived pigments; (4) optimizing amino acid composition to augment the nutritional profiles. These advancements are crucial for utilization of plant proteins in development of high-quality PBMA.