Although plant-based meat is tipped to save the environment, many offerings look nothing like the real thing.
Now, scientists in Israel have created some of the most realistic fake meat products yet – lamb chops, Wagyu beef and T-Bone steaks.
Made out of vegetable proteins, their artificial lamb and beef fillets are indistinguishable to genuine cuts, they claim.
Neither lab-grown nor 3D-printed, they’re made using a moulding technique that’s new to the food industry.
Not only are they whole cuts, but they brown and sizzle in the pan just like the real deal.
According to the experts, from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the fake meat is more environmentally friendly than flesh from livestock.
So, do you think you could tell the difference between these real meats and their artificial imposters?
Scroll down for the answers!
![The fake cuts look realistic and brown and sizzle in the pan just like the real thing](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/13/94292939-14304517-image-m-35_1737381292629.jpg)
![Made out of vegetable proteins, their artificial lamb and beef fillets are indistinguishable to genuine cuts](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/13/94293833-14304517-image-a-36_1737381300448.jpg)
One photo shows a lamb chop, while the other shows the researchers’ plant-based take on the delicacy – but can you guess which is which?
![Although plant-based meat is tipped to save the environment, many offerings look nothing like the real thing](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/14/94298193-14304517-Although_plant_based_meat_is_tipped_to_save_the_environment_many-a-101_1737384108792.jpg)
![The fake meat is more environmentally friendly than flesh from livestock](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/14/94298199-14304517-image-a-82_1737383567277.jpg)
One photo shows a T-bone steak, while the other shows the researchers’ plant-based imposter
‘The escalating global demand for meat products has intensified ecological concerns, underscoring the need for sustainable meat alternatives,’ say the experts in their study, published in Nature Communications.
‘Although current methods effectively imitate ground meat, mimicking whole cuts – which constitute 54 per cent of the global market – remains challenging.
‘Our work heralds a new era in sustainable food technology by offering a scalable and economically viable method for producing whole-cut meat analogs.’
The team used a manufacturing process called ‘injection moulding’, which produces parts by injecting molten material into a mould.
The technique is common to the polymer industry, but this project marks the first time this it has been applied to alternative meat production.
It also offers an alternative to 3D printing already used in the food industry – which gradually builds up an edible mass layer by layer.
The adapted injection moulding method involves taking digital scans of actual steaks and printing moulds that copy their exact contours.
It’s then a case of filling in the moulds with two synthetic structural materials – one representing animal fat and the other replicating the meaty tissue.
![The team used a manufacturing process called 'injection moulding', which produces parts by injecting molten material into a mould](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/14/94298197-14304517-The_team_used_a_manufacturing_process_called_injection_moulding_-a-97_1737384098600.jpg)
![The fake animal tissue and fat substitute, (called proteoleogel) are made from different amounts of vegetable protein such as soy, pea, mung bean, potato, chickpea, lentil and rice](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/14/94298189-14304517-The_fake_animal_tissue_and_fat_substitute_called_proteoleogel_ar-a-99_1737384103439.jpg)
One photo shows a wagyu steak, while the other shows the artificial version
![Study authors Dr Mohammad Ghosheh and Professor Yaakov Nahmias with their injection moulding device](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/12/94294085-14304517-image-a-13_1737377409260.jpg)
Study authors Dr Mohammad Ghosheh and Professor Yaakov Nahmias with their injection moulding device
![The team used a manufacturing process called 'injection moulding', which produces parts by injecting molten material into a mould. This image shows eight manufacturing steps (A), plus four of the steps represented by photos (B)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/12/94293733-14304517-image-a-11_1737377064657.jpg)
The team used a manufacturing process called ‘injection moulding’, which produces parts by injecting molten material into a mould. This image shows eight manufacturing steps (A), plus four of the steps represented by photos (B)
The fake animal tissue and fat substitute, (called proteoleogel) are made from different amounts of vegetable protein such as soy, pea, mung bean, potato, chickpea, lentil and rice.
The proteoleogel is capable of ‘retaining lipid droplets during cooking while creating stable connections between muscle and bone elements in the meat’.
‘Together, these materials allow the creation of complex meat cuts, such as steaks, chops, and T-bones, with remarkable precision and sensory fidelity,’ Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement.
For a taste test, the researchers recruited 23 people mostly from Israel, but also from the UK, the US, Brazil, Russia, Palestine, Germany, Brazil, India, Greece and Albania.
Both the moulded product and farmed beef were cooked by grilling on a hot skillet at about 200°C for five minutes and showed similar browning, the team said.
Products were scored from 0 to 20 on saltiness, sweetness, umami, meaty strength, and aftertaste, as well as appearance, aroma and texture.
Study participants rated the fake meat as nine on average noting marginally softer texture and more intense colour than farmed beef, which scored 10.
Forced choice test revealed that 57 per cent of participants preferred beef, while 43 per cent preferred their meat analogues.
![Pictured, radar charts showing results from the taste test, with the fake meat indicated by red lines and the real beef with grey lines](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/13/94295553-14304517-image-a-29_1737380865080.jpg)
Pictured, radar charts showing results from the taste test, with the fake meat indicated by red lines and the real beef with grey lines
According to the team, the product offers a much-needed alternative to existing 3D printing methods for fake meat, which are ‘slow and expensive’.
Their technical economic analysis reveals injection molding is more cost-effective than 3D printing, costing $9 (£7) per kg compared to $38 (£30) per kg.
‘This research represents a step in sustainable food production, offering cost-effective and scalable solutions for the entire meat market,’ the team conclude.
‘The application of injection molding to meat manufacturing would double the total addressable market of meat alternatives.
‘This approach not only addresses the multiscale complexity inherent to meat but also offers an economically viable pathway for mass production.’
It’s unclear when they expect to see their products on supermarket shelves or how much they would cost; MailOnline has contacted the academics for more information.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .