Scientists unlock hybrid protein potential for food system sustainability

As the global food system targets emission cuts, health improvement, and reduced livestock reliance, scientists in the US say the answer may lie in hybrid proteins — foods that blend plants, fungi, insects, microbial fermentation, and cultivated meat.

Hybrid foods could provide sustainable and affordable substitutes to animal-based products while addressing environmental, health, and ethical challenges linked to industrial animal farming. They also provide improved taste, texture, and nutrition. 

Scientists at Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the US investigated various protein sources and found that while every protein source has drawbacks, combining them can overcome many limitations.

Hybrids could “combine the best of each protein source” — the fibrous texture of mycelium, the sensory and nutritional qualities of cultivated meat, the nutrition and sustainability of insects, the proteins, pigments, enzymes, and flavors from microbial fermentation, and the abundance and low cost of plants.

Senior author, professor David Julian McClements from the University of Massachusetts, tells Food Ingredients First that each single alt-protein source,, such as plants and cultivated meat, has its own limitations — notably the high cost of cultivated meat and the difficulties in simulating real meat using plant ingredients.

“So we decided to investigate the potential of hybrid products,” says McClements.

Analyzing protein sources

The study, published in Frontiers in Science, assessed the strengths and weaknesses of soy products like tofu, insects processed into flours and blended into foods, and mycelium-based products, such as vegan commercial meat analogs. They also analyzed cultivated meat and microbial fermentation products, including proteins and pigments.

The findings suggest that hybrids can be “more than the sum of their parts” when considering how to harness the best qualities of each protein source, both with and without animal meat.

For example, while plant proteins are cheap and scalable, they often lack the flavor and texture of meat. Meanwhile, cultivated meat more closely mimics animal meat but is expensive and hard to scale. Mycelium can add natural texture, while insects offer high nutrition with a low environmental footprint.

“At present, cultivated meat and plant proteins, or mycelium and plant proteins, show the best promise,” McClements tells us. 

“Plant proteins are relatively inexpensive and can be produced on a large scale, whereas cultivated meat is expensive and can only be produced on a small scale. However, cultivated meat can better mimic the sensory and nutritional properties of real meat — therefore, it is good to combine.”

Cultivated meat mimics real meat and plant proteins are scalable due to lower costs, making them suitable for hybrid foods.

Lowering additives and processing

Hybrid proteins can help manufacturers overcome the concerns over plant-based meat substitutes being classified as ultra-processed foods owing to the need for various ingredients and “extensive processing.”

“Plant-based meat alternatives require many ingredients to simulate the sensory and nutritional properties of real meat,” McClements explains.

“Using cultured cells or mycelium may reduce the number of ingredients and processing required. They may therefore be perceived as less processed. Moreover, they can be designed to have nutrient profiles similar to or better than real meat.”

By using hybrid proteins, there may be less need for additives, such as colors, flavors, texturants, and micronutrients, if hybrid products make use of the “unique composition and structures of mycelium and cultured meat,” including the naturally fibrous structure of mycelium resembling muscle tissues.

“Cultured meat cells contain proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals, flavors, and pigments (such as myoglobin) similar to those found in real meat, so these ingredients may not need to be added.”

Hybrid proteins may reduce the need for additives and processing in plant-based meat substitutes, which face consumer concerns over ultra-processing.

Overcoming insect protein resistance

The health and environmental benefits of insect proteins make them an important ingredient in hybrid foods. 

Many edible insects are highly nutritious and “environmentally friendlier” to raise than animals, notes the study. Over two billion people worldwide already regularly eat insects, but consumers in Western countries are often less willing to do so.

The study points to the “yuk factor,” or consumer disgust associated with consuming insects, as a major barrier to their widespread adoption in global diets. 

These challenges can be overcome through consumer education about the potential health and sustainability benefits of consuming hybrid products, while also making the products “delicious, convenient, and affordable,” McClements emphasizes.

Calls for regulatory review

Despite the various benefits of hybrid foods, regulatory gaps may prevent their advancement.

For instance, there are different regulations in different countries and even states within the US, which McClements says makes it difficult for food manufacturers to produce and sell their products.

Florida, Alabama, Montana, Indiana, and Nebraska have banned the manufacturing, distributing, and selling of cultured meat products. “[Some states in] the US, Israel, Singapore, and the UK are the only countries to allow the sale of these products so far.”

The researchers call for “regulatory review and academic and industry cooperation” to overcome the hurdles and find the best possible protein combinations for consumer health, sensory, environmental, and cost needs. 

AI can help scientists identify and optimize new hybrid formulations for taste and nutrition, says McClements.

Leveraging AI for elevated sensory profiles

The authors call for future research to focus on optimizing protein sources, developing scalable production methods, conducting environmental and economic analyses, and using AI to identify new hybrid combinations and processing methods.

“AI tools can be used to identify formulations that provide the best sensory and nutritional profiles — by linking ingredients and processing to physicochemical, sensory, and nutritional properties,” says McClements.

He cites Climax Foods in Berkeley, California, as an example, which uses AI to optimize the formulation of its plant-based cheese products. “These products have nutritional profiles similar to real cheese, while also tasting very realistic.”

Driving a hybrid future

McClements expects “meat analogs” to be the most important area where hybrids will have a potential advantage, with food companies already combining cultured meat and plant proteins or mycelium and plant proteins.

He sees “great potential” for hybrid products in the future, provided they meet consumer expectations for taste, cost, and convenience — the primary purchase drivers.

“It is also critical to focus on health and sustainability. This will require extensive work on formulation, sensory testing, consumer studies, life cycle analysis, and technoeconomic analysis.”