Fruity fat replaces pig

Perfectly replicating a meat product remains a considerable challenge. This is due to the great complexity of an animal-based product. Both the structure and the flavour change depending on how such a product is prepared. Researchers from China have now examined pork fat and how it can be replicated using plant-based ingredients. To do so, they used pomelo peel and pea protein. Lead author Qiaomei Zhu explains via email: ‘We chose pomelo peel because of the large waste mountain it generates.’

Alongside the pursuit of a plant-based alternative, the goal is also to create a healthier one. Pork fat is, after all, packed with saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, which have negative effects on health. The pomelo alternative likely does not carry this negative health impact, yet it does provide the texture of pork fat without containing large amounts of fat.

Previously, plant-based oils, such as avocado oil, attracted attention as a substitute for pork fat. The major problem, however, is that this type of oil is liquid at room temperature. This makes it impossible to incorporate into products where a specific texture and stability are required. Zhu and colleagues therefore looked to High Internal Phase Pickering Emulsions (HIPPEs) as an alternative to plant-based oils.

These emulsions offer a promising alternative to conventional fat substitutes – owing to a phase volume fraction of more than 74% – and form so-called polygonal droplets that provide elasticity, texture, and viscoelasticity. In this way, the HIPPEs form a robust three-dimensional network capable of mimicking the properties of pork fat. However, HIPPEs are still relatively unstable. The addition of pea protein (0.4%) and cellulose nanofibrils derived from pomelo peel (0.7%) makes the HIPPE emulsion considerably more stable.

The HIPPEs thus possess the necessary stability and the desired texture in the alternative product. There is less fat loss during cooking, which means the correct texture is maintained. The aim is to incorporate HIPPEs into more products as a healthier, plant-based alternative to pork fat. ‘We must enhance the potential of pomelo peel waste,’ concludes Zhu.

Source:

Qiaomei Zhu, ACS Food Sci. Technol. (2025), Formulation of High Internal Phase Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Pomelo Peel-Derived Cellulose Nanofibrils and Pea Protein Isolate as Pork Fat Substitutes in Meat Patties.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.5c00076