McClements Featured for Leadership Role in Plant-based Food Design

Distinguished Professor of Food Science David Julian McClements is highlighted in an article about the science of designing healthier foods in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal.

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In the article, “Science and Culture: Looking to ‘junk’ food to design healthier options,” McClements discusses the ongoing mission of his research group, which is focused on helping to create a healthier, more sustainable and affordable food supply.

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But designing plant-based meat, seafood, eggs and dairy products that have less saturated fat and salt, and more of the vitamins and minerals typically found in animal products, is complicated science. It’s especially challenging to recreate the texture and structure of a whole chicken or fish, compared to plant-based burgers and sausages, as McClements and colleagues are attempting.

His team has developed realistic-looking, plant-based scallops composed of pea protein and citrus pectin, a photo of which was featured in the PNAS article.

In addition to being featured in the PNAS piece, McClements was recently interviewed by Russian TV about his book, “Future Foods: How Modern Science Is Transforming the Way We Eat.” The internationally acclaimed food scientist also served on expert panels about plant-based proteins at two recent conferences hosted by the American Oil Chemists Society and Good Food Institute.

The work of his group on plant-based foods, especially 3D printing using edible, plant-derived inks, will also be featured in an upcoming article of the Japanese version of Vogue magazine.