It’s all about the sausage

Choosing the right proteins can improve the mouthfeel of vegetarian sausages. The right crack of the sausage is, not least, a matter of physics. A team from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz has investigated how the properties of plant proteins influence the mouthfeel of vegetarian and vegan sausages. Using the findings this revealed, the first companies have already adapted their recipes to make the texture of their sausages more similar to those made from meat. Summer is barbecue season, and these days, more and more vegetarian and vegan products are ending up on the grill. Sausages made of plant-based ingredients have, however, always been very different to those made from meat: The crack of a meat sausage, for example, differs greatly from that of its vegan counterparts. This is due to the distinct basis on which it is made, because in animal tissue, for example, the muscle proteins, fats and oils present emulsify in a completely different way to plant proteins.