Comparative analysis of appearance, digestive behaviour, and nutritional quality of grilled alternative meat analogues and beef patty

A wide range of commercial meat analogues have emerged as alternatives to animal protein. This study evaluated six commercial alternative meat analogues (AMAs) against a conventional beef patty (BP), focusing on cooking behaviour, appearance, texture, digestion, and protein quality. AMAs showed distinct structural differences from BP, directly resulting in variations in cooking loss, hardness, and chewiness. Following simulated gastrointestinal digestion, AMAs released more free amino acids, whereas BP demonstrated higher overall protein digestibility. Protein quality assessment revealed that four AMAs (66.1–98.5) had higher in vitro protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (IVPDCAAS) than BP (54.8), while only one (AMA6, 72.3) showed higher in vitro digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) (BP, 64.2). This discrepancy was attributed to the complete digestibility of limiting amino acids (Cys + Met) in BP, highlighting the importance of assessing individual amino acid digestibility. Overall, AMAs show promise but require further improvement in texture and post-cooking nutritional quality.