Mix Insect, Plant and Cultivated Proteins for Healthier, Greener, Tastier Food, Say Experts

janrinok writes:

https://phys.org/news/2025-09-insect-cultivated-proteins-healthier-greener.html

Reducing industrial animal use can help to shrink our carbon footprint and boost health-but doing so means we need nutritious meat alternatives that are also tasty and affordable.

The researchers say that by using combinations of different proteins from plants, fungi, insects, microbial fermentation, and cultivated meat, we could create tasty, nutritious, and sustainable alternatives to animal products.

As well as tackling environmental concerns, hybrids could also help to address the health and ethical impact of livestock farming such as animal welfare, zoonotic disease, and antimicrobial resistance.

"Hybrid foods could give us a delicious taste and texture without breaking the bank or the planet," said first author Prof David L. Kaplan from Tufts University in the US. "Using protein alternatives needn't necessarily come with financial, taste, or nutritional costs."

For example, by drawing on the fibrous texture of mycelium, the sensory and nutritional qualities of cultivated meat, the nutrition and sustainability of insects, the proteins, pigments, enzymes, and flavors from microbial fermentation, and the abundance and low cost of plants, hybrids could combine the best of each protein source, say the authors.

But to make this happen, the researchers call for regulatory review and academic and industry cooperation to overcome hurdles and find the best possible protein combinations for our health, sensory, environmental, and cost needs.

"To succeed, we need research and cooperation across science, industry, and regulators to improve quality, scale production, and earn consumer trust," added Prof Kaplan.

The researchers investigated different protein sources: plants (for example, soy products like tofu), insects (processed into flours and blended into foods), mycelium-based products (such as vegan commercial meat analogs), cultivated meat grown in bioreactors, and microbial fermentation products (such as proteins, pigments, enzymes, and flavors).

They assessed the strengths and weaknesses of each protein source and considered how to harness the best qualities of each-both with and without animal meat. For example, while plant proteins are cheap and scalable, they often lack the flavor and texture of meat. Meanwhile, cultivated meat more closely mimics animal meat but is expensive and hard to scale. Mycelium can add natural texture, while insects offer high nutrition with a low environmental footprint.

The researchers reviewed various combinations to compare their sensory and nutritional profiles, consumer acceptance, affordability, and scalability.

They found that while every protein source has drawbacks, combining them can overcome many of these limitations. In the short term, plant-mycelium hybrids appear most economically viable because they are scalable, nutritious, and already used in commercial products.

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