ABSTRACT Sensory profile of plant‐based meat alternatives (PBMAs) has remained a major barrier to their widespread adoption. The major issues in the sensory profile of PBMAs include the presence of off‐odor volatile compounds, bitter taste non‐volatile compounds, and the inability of plant‐based ingredients to mimic the overall meaty flavor of conventional meat products. These sensory challenges can be addressed through treatment of raw materials prior to extrusion of PBMAs. Potential applications of fermentation and enzymatic (hydrolysis and crosslinking) modifications as pre‐treatments before extrusion cooking to improve the sensory profile of PBMAs were reviewed. Fermentation and enzymatic modifications can effectively address PBMA's flavor issues by masking off‐flavors, degrading off‐odor aldehydes into corresponding alcohols and esters, synthesizing umami flavor precursors, and degrading bitter non‐volatile compounds. Additionally, these pre‐treatments modify protein molecular structure, thereby altering techno‐functionality and influencing fibrous structure formation during extrusion. However, pre‐treatment effectiveness in modifying the flavor and texture profile of PBMAs relies greatly on process optimization as the incorrect choice of microorganisms and enzymes as well as pre‐treatment conditions may lead to the formation of undesirable sour and bitter tastes, respectively. Furthermore, the extensive hydrolysis and formation of small peptides may sometimes hinder the development of fibrous structure formation during extrusion cooking. Overall, fermentation and enzymatic treatments are promising technologies that should be further explored alongside extrusion cooking for the production of next‐generation extruded PBMAs with improved sensory characteristics.
Singh et al. (2026) studied this question.