In developing meat substitutes, the goal is to make the food ingredient more meat-like and healthy. This breakthrough is what UK-based food ingredient company, Moolec, has accomplished. With genetic engineering, they have developed soybean seeds with high levels of pork protein.

According to Moolec, the animal protein expressed in “Piggy Sooy” is about a quarter (26.6%) of the total soluble protein in soybean seeds. This increased amount of meat proteins led to a pinkish color in the seed, similar to pork.

Aside from Piggy Sooy, Moolec also produces pea plants containing beef proteins. They claim that their products will have a similar taste, texture, and nutritional value as meat but without the high costs linked to cultured meat.

The successful introduction of pig proteins in soybean seeds has led Moolec to apply for a new patent using a novel molecular farming technique to provide the company with a frictionless regulatory pathway in the future.

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