ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research is to createa form of plant-based artificial meat that is beneficial to the health of
elders. Currently, many meat products in the market for elders are unhealthy as they often contain high levels of sugar and calories. Furthermore, animal meat has become more and more difficult to produce due to its requirement for large areas of pasture, animal feed, and the harmful methane that the production process releases into the atmosphere. Therefore, this research aims to create plant-based artificial meat that contains abundant nutrients for elders and is much more environmental-friendly to produce. We first conducted an online survey and a series of interviews with elderly populations on their preferences and opinions for plant-based meat and traditional meat. The results show that plant-based artificial meat has a large potential market, and that many elders are willing to accept plant-based artificial meat. After analyzing the results, we proceeded to prepare plant- based artificial meat. In order to make this type of meat, our group focused on a variety of proteins such as soy protein isolate. We further added gels and soy sauce, and most importantly, the unique ingredient arabinose that is not found in traditional meat. Arabinose is a type of sugar that can reduce the risk of endocrine diseases, type 2 diabetes, and many other health conditions that are commonly found in elderly populations.
The general steps for producing our plant-based artificial meat are by adding and mixing the ingredients and then putting them into a mold which makes the meat similar to a burger patty. We also conducted a series of lab tests which determined that the product is safe and contains adequate amounts of nutrition, followed by a taste test to see if our product will be accepted by the elderly population. The results show that out plant-based artificial meat contain more protein and energy compared to beef, and have lower amounts of substances that
might be harmful to the health of elders, such as sodium and cholesterol. Our project created a plant-based artificial meat that contains special health benefits to elders and is faster and more environmental- friendly to produce.
Keywords: Plant-basedartificial meat, elderly populations, soy protein isolate, arabinose
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