Table 3. Types and pros and cons of proteins mainly used in manufacturing plant-based meat analogues

Plant protein	Pros	Cons	References
Wheat gluten	- Low price- High protein content- Widely used as composite agent to improve fiber structure	- Not soluble in water- When applied to meat products, chewiness is reduced due to low water retention capacity- May cause allergic reactions	Bogueva and McClements (2023); Sun et al. (2024); Zhang et al. (2023c)
Soy protein	- High water absorption and water holding capacity- Good gelling properties- Low price	- Rejection due to the smell of soybeans- Side effects on masculinity when consumed excessively (infertility, erectile dysfunction)- May cause allergic reactions	Bogueva and McClements (2023); Lee et al. (2022b); Schreuders et al. (2019); Sun et al. (2024); Zhang et al. (2021a)
Pea protein	- Less associated with genetic manipulation- Not subject to allergen labeling	- Lower gelling ability than soy protein- May cause allergic reactions	Bogueva and McClements (2023); Schreuders et al. (2019)
Peanut protein	- Low in anti-nutritional factors- Excellent amino acid profile	- Poor gel and emulsification properties- May cause allergic reactions	Boukid (2022); Zhang et al. (2023c)
Rice protein	- No unpleasant taste- Hypocholesterolemic- Highly digestible compared to wheat gluten	- Requires supplementation with soy protein due to limiting amino acid (lysine)	Cho and Ryu (2022); Lee et al. (2022a)
Mung bean protein	- High content of functional substances (flavonoids, etc.)- High digestibility- Better gelling properties than soy and pea proteins	- Characteristics vary depending on protein extraction method, salt concentration, pH, etc.- Hard and cohesive structure, resulting in lower gelation and surface properties than egg protein	Cho and Ryu (2022); Feng et al. (2024); Hwang et al. (2023); Wang et al. (2022b)
Potato protein	- Good foaming and emulsifying properties- Highly soluble- High digestibility- Nutritionally similar to animal protein	- Gluten-free, difficult to form gel	Kumar et al. (2022); Lv et al. (2023); Okeudo-Cogan et al. (2024)
Mycoproteins	- Similar to meat in nutritional value, fiber texture, flavor, and taste- High digestibility fibrous texture- Sustainable protein source	- Iron content is about 35% or less of meat	Kumar et al. (2022); Okeudo-Cogan et al. (2024)
Mushroom protein	- High protein content (23.80 g per 100 g)- Fast yield- High thermal and pH stability- Contains branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) like animal proteins	- Due to the high fiber content, the Maillard reaction may occur during digestion, resulting in a decrease in essential amino acids (lysine, methionine, tryptophan)- Phenolic substances and tannins contained in mushrooms inhibit digestive enzymes	Ayimbila and Keawsompong (2023)