D. Julian McClements Discusses the 'Marbling' of Plant-Based Meat on NPR's 'Science Friday'

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Plant-based meat products have evolved significantly, with the Tofurky Roast becoming a holiday favorite. While the flavor has improved, replicating the texture of real meat, such as the "marbling" of fat, is still a challenge. Plant-based meats often have a uniform texture by design, but researchers—including those in the College of Natural Sciences's Department of Food Science—are working to reintroduce the imperfect, fatty texture that makes animal meat unique.

On a new episode of NPR's Science Friday, guest host Kathleen Davis spoke with Distinguished Professor D. Julian McClements to better understand how UMass is addressing the "marbling" issue in plant-based meat:

"We have a few different ways that we're trying to do [marbling]. One way is to use 3D printing, so we...create these edible inks...of adipose tissue. And we'll use the 3D printer to print...the fat-rich regions and the protein-rich regions, so it looks something like real meat."

— D. Julian McClements on NPR's Science Friday

Click here to listen to the discussion on NPR. 

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