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Plant-Based Meat

This page provides a comprehensive overview of the plant-based meat (PBM) value chain map. It aims to help users understand the workflow involved in plant-based meat production, discusses the various jobs required at each stage, identifies the necessary skills for these roles, and offers guidance on where to acquire such skills. Whether you are a student, a professional looking to transition into the industry, or simply curious about the process, this page will serve as an informative resource. 

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Soybean
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What is Plant-Based Meat?

PBM is an innovative alternative to conventional meat products, designed to mimic the taste, texture, and nutritional profile of animal meat using plant-derived ingredients. PBM products are created using a variety of plant proteins, such as soy, peas, and wheat, which are processed and combined with other natural ingredients to replicate the sensory experience of eating animal meat. Advances in food science and technology have enabled the development of plant-based meats that closely resemble their animal counterparts, appealing to both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Why Talent is Needed

The PBM industry is growing rapidly, driven by increasing consumer demand for secure and sustainable food options. To continue this growth and innovation, the industry needs talented professionals from various fields, including food science, nutrition, culinary arts, agricultural science, and food engineering. Experts in plant protein extraction and processing, flavour development, and food texture engineering are particularly crucial to improving the quality and appeal of PBM products. Additionally, marketing, regulatory compliance, and supply chain management are essential to bring these innovative products to market. As the industry evolves, the collaboration of diverse skill sets and expertise will be necessary to overcome technical challenges and meet the evolving preferences of consumers.

Your Impact

Working in the plant-based meat industry offers the chance to make a meaningful impact on both global health and the environment. Producing PBM requires significantly fewer resources than conventional animal farming, leading to a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and land consumption. This shift can contribute to combating climate change and preserving natural ecosystems. On a health level, PBM can offer lower saturated fat and cholesterol compared to animal meat, potentially reducing the risk of chronic diseases. By providing a delicious alternative to conventional meat, professionals in this field are helping to build a more sustainable, healthy, and secure food system for future generations.

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Value Chain Map

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Value Chain Map

This technology value chain map outlines the step-by-step process involved in plant-based meat production. Users can click on each step to learn more about the specific activities, equipment used, and jobs associated with that stage. The map is divided into key stages of development, making it easier to follow the flow of work and understand the intricate processes that bring plant-based meat from conception to market.

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Crop Development and Cultivation
Primary Ingredient Fractionation and Modification
Secondary Ingredient Development
End Product Formulation and Manufacturing

The technology value chain map outlines the step-by-step process involved in plant-based meat production. Users can click on each step to learn more about the specific activities, equipment used, and jobs associated with that stage. The map is divided into key stages of development, making it easier to follow the flow of work and understand the intricate processes that bring plant-based meat from conception to market.

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Job Archetype Map

This section delves into the various job archetypes found within the PBM industry. It provides detailed descriptions of each role and highlights their responsibilities, the skills required, and the typical backgrounds that are a good fit. Additionally, it offers insights on where those looking to enter or advance within the industry can bridge any skills gaps they may have.

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Food technologist - Plant-based meat
Food technologist - Plant-based meat
Food technologist - Plant-based meat
Food technologist - Plant-based meat
Food technologist - Plant-based meat

Food Technologist

Job Role and Functions

Food Technologists play a crucial role in developing and improving plant-based meat products. They formulate and optimise recipes, ensuring the texture, flavour, and nutritional profile of the products meet consumer expectations and regulatory standards. Their responsibilities include conducting research and experiments to innovate new food processing techniques, ensuring food safety, and maintaining quality throughout the production process.

Food Technologists design and execute experiments to test different plant-based ingredients and their interactions. They collaborate with nutritionists to balance the nutritional content, with extrusion operators to achieve the desired texture, and with sensory analysts to refine the product’s flavour profile. Their projects often involve scaling up successful lab formulations to pilot and commercial production scales while troubleshooting any issues that arise during this transition.

The end goal for a Food Technologist is to create high-quality, safe, and appealing plant-based meat products that can compete with conventional meat in terms of taste, texture, and nutritional value. They need a deep understanding of food chemistry, microbiology, and engineering principles. Technical skills in handling food processing equipment, proficiency in laboratory techniques, and familiarity with food safety regulations are essential for their role.

What Background Is a Good Fit for This Job?

University Majors

Food Science & Technology

Material Science

Chemical Engineering

Adjacent Industries

Food Industry

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Beverage Industry

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Specialty Ingredient Industry

Technical Skills

Training Platforms

Training Region

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

Tufts University

Cellular Agriculture & Biofabricated Foods

An undergraduate class on cellular agriculture primarily focused on the bioengineering behind cultivated meat.

University of California, Berkeley

Alternative Meat: Product Design & Customer Need Finding

This class serves as a hub where students closely interact with entrepreneurs, companies, venture capitalists, and plant-based organisations, gaining a comprehensive view of the plant-based food space. Students learn the principles of food science applied to the design and production of plant-based foods. Working in teams, they tackle industry challenges to design novel plant-based products.

Temasek Polytechnic (TP) New Course Development

Module on Plant-Based and Cultivated Meat

A comprehensive course on plant-based and cultivated meat for Diploma in Food, Nutrition & Culinary Science students.

Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) and NYP Collaboration

Future Foods Module Development

UFS and NYP collaborate to create curriculum, assessments, and certification for a unit focused on future food and sustainability management.

Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) Diploma in Food Science and Nutrition

Guest Lectures on Alternative Proteins

Includes three lectures on alternative proteins, providing students with a foundational understanding of this emerging field.

University of Hohenheim

Vegane Alternativen zu Fleisch- und Milchprodukten [Processing and Analysis of Alternatives to Meat and Dairy Products]

A module from the Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology consisting of one weekly lecture, plus an excursion about the processing and analysis of alternatives to meat and dairy products. Mainly focuses on plant-based raw materials. Takes place every winter semester. Language: German.

The University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo)

Master’s Programme in Food Process and Product Engineering

Operated mainly by the DIL German Institute of Food Technology, this Master’s programme includes modules that cover alternative proteins in various capacities.

Gujarat Biotechnology University (GBU)

MSc Biotechnology Course Elective: Smart Proteins in Plant, Medical, Animal and Industrial Applications

This elective course was designed in 2023 for Biotech master’s students at GBU.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Bühler Short Course

Extrusion and Texture-Characterisation of Plant-Based Meat Formulations

Offers theory and practical training on extrusion techniques and texture characterisation, including hands-on experience with texture profile analysers and rheometers.

Singapore Polytechnic (SP) Short Course

Formulating Plant-Based Meat Products

Trains participants in formulating plant-based meat products, featuring a 3-month mentor-guided project for hands-on learning.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

FoodTech in Hebrew University of Jerusalem

A local Israeli programme funded by the Israeli Innovation Authority and additional bodies, designed to increase the amount of skilled personnel for FoodTech.

University of California, Davis

Cultivated Meat Short Course: Cultivated Meat 101

A virtual short course covering topics related to the development of cultivated meat, including research challenges, the structure and physiology of meat, cell lines and media development, product development and regulatory considerations, nutrition, quality and consumer preferences, and techno-economic analyses.

Tei Hai Colledge and Israeli Innovation Authority

Food-Techies Programme

A local Israeli programme funded by the Israeli Innovation Authority and additional organisations designed to train Food Process Technologists.

Israel Institute of Technology

Innovation in FoodTech & BioTech

A local Israeli programme funded by the Israeli Innovation Authority and additional bodies, designed to increase the amount of skilled personnel for FoodTech & BioTech.

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

We’re actively working to expand this section

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

Bridge2Food

Plant-Based Proteins & Foods Course Americas

This course is designed for professionals in the food industry who want to learn more about the properties, functionalities, and applications of a broad range of plant-based proteins, as well as obtain practical know-how and insights into their use in foods.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

The Good Food Institute (GFI)

The Protein Transition

Hosted by GFI, this open-access, self-paced online course explores the science behind alternative proteins. Across five modules, learners will delve into the biological and chemical processes involved in producing plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated meat. The course also examines the environmental and economic drivers behind these emerging market sectors.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

Cell Ag Germany

Cellular Agriculture Starter Culture (CASC)

A webinar series introducing the fundamentals of cellular agriculture. Recordings are available on their YouTube channel. Language: Part German, part English.

We’re actively working to expand this section

Please explore the other courses currently available in your region.

Alt Protein Project at EIT Food

Fundamentals Programme

An online course providing foundational knowledge on alternative proteins to gain a more profound understanding of the scientific and sociopolitical challenges in the field. Language: English.

The Good Food Institute (GFI)

The Protein Transition

Hosted by GFI, this open-access, self-paced online course explores the science behind alternative proteins. Across five modules, learners will delve into the biological and chemical processes involved in producing plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated meat. The course also examines the environmental and economic drivers behind these emerging market sectors.

The Good Food Institute (GFI)

The Protein Transition

Hosted by GFI, this open-access, self-paced online course explores the science behind alternative proteins. Across five modules, learners will delve into the biological and chemical processes involved in producing plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated meat. The course also examines the environmental and economic drivers behind these emerging market sectors.

The Good Food Institute (GFI)

The Protein Transition

Hosted by GFI, this open-access, self-paced online course explores the science behind alternative proteins. Across five modules, learners will delve into the biological and chemical processes involved in producing plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated meat. The course also examines the environmental and economic drivers behind these emerging market sectors.

The Good Food Institute (GFI)

The Protein Transition

Hosted by GFI, this open-access, self-paced online course explores the science behind alternative proteins. Across five modules, learners will delve into the biological and chemical processes involved in producing plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated meat. The course also examines the environmental and economic drivers behind these emerging market sectors.

Discover more global alternative protein courses and programmes through GFI’s comprehensive Alternative Protein Course Database.

Industry Careers

Use this database to find up-to-date listings of available positions in the alternative protein ecosystem, including at GFI’s international affiliates. We also recommend exploring the Tälist and Alt Protein Careers job boards, which highlight a vast array of high-impact opportunities in the field.

Illustration of a scientist holding a Petri dish and a pipette, alongside an engineer with a clipboard and wrench, both in lab coats and safety gear.
Application scientist - Plant-based meat
Application scientist - Plant-based meat
Application scientist - Plant-based meat
Application scientist - Plant-based meat
Application scientist - Plant-based meat
Extrusion operator - Plant-based meat
Extrusion operator - Plant-based meat
Extrusion operator - Plant-based meat
Extrusion operator - Plant-based meat

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Plant geneticist - Plant-based meat

Plant Geneticist

Job Role and Functions

Plant Geneticists are integral to the development of high-quality crops used in plant-based meat production. They study the genetic makeup of plants to improve their yield, nutritional content, and resistance to pests and diseases. Their work involves breeding and genetically engineering crops to enhance desirable traits, conducting field trials, and analysing genetic data to inform breeding programmes.

Plant Geneticists conduct experiments to identify and manipulate genes responsible for important plant traits. They work with agronomists and crop scientists to implement breeding programmes and test new crop varieties under different environmental conditions. Their projects often involve using advanced techniques such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), marker-assisted selection, and genome-wide association studies to accelerate crop improvement.

The end goal for a Plant Geneticist is to develop highly productive, nutritious, and sustainable crop varieties that meet the needs of the plant-based meat industry. They require strong analytical skills, proficiency in molecular biology techniques, and a deep understanding of plant genetics and breeding. Collaboration with other scientists and effective communication of their findings are also important aspects of their role.

What Background Is a Good Fit for This Job?

University Majors

Plant Science

Agricultural Science

Biotechnology

Adjacent Industries

Agriculture

Crop Development

Biotechnology

Technical Skills

Food technologist - Plant-based meat

Food Technologist

Job Role and Functions

Food Technologists play a crucial role in developing and improving plant-based meat products. They formulate and optimise recipes, ensuring the texture, flavour, and nutritional profile of the products meet consumer expectations and regulatory standards. Their responsibilities include conducting research and experiments to innovate new food processing techniques, ensuring food safety, and maintaining quality throughout the production process.

Food Technologists design and execute experiments to test different plant-based ingredients and their interactions. They collaborate with nutritionists to balance the nutritional content, with extrusion operators to achieve the desired texture, and with sensory analysts to refine the product’s flavour profile. Their projects often involve scaling up successful lab formulations to pilot and commercial production scales while troubleshooting any issues that arise during this transition.

The end goal for a Food Technologist is to create high-quality, safe, and appealing plant-based meat products that can compete with conventional meat in terms of taste, texture, and nutritional value. They need a deep understanding of food chemistry, microbiology, and engineering principles. Technical skills in handling food processing equipment, proficiency in laboratory techniques, and familiarity with food safety regulations are essential for their role.

What Background Is A Good Fit For This Job?

University Majors

Material Science

Food Science & Technology

Chemical Engineering

Adjacent Industries

extrusion machine

Food Industry

big tub of yellow powder

Specialty Ingredient Industry

green carton with labels

Beverage Industry

Technical Skills

Application scientist - Plant-based meat

Application Scientist

Job Role and Functions

Application Scientists bridge the gap between research and commercial application in plant-based meat production. They focus on applying scientific principles to develop practical solutions that enhance the functionality and performance of plant-based ingredients in food products. Their work involves experimenting with different formulations, optimising processing parameters, and ensuring that the products meet desired specifications for texture, taste, and stability.

Application Scientists conduct experiments to test the performance of new plant proteins, starches, and other ingredients in various food matrices. They collaborate closely with Food Technologists to integrate these ingredients into final product formulations and with process engineers to refine production methods. Their projects may involve scaling up laboratory findings to pilot plant trials and eventually to full-scale manufacturing.

The end goal for an Application Scientist is to create innovative, high-performing plant-based meat products that are both feasible to produce and appealing to consumers. They need strong problem-solving skills, proficiency in experimental design and data analysis, and the ability to work collaboratively across different departments. Knowledge of food science, biochemistry, and process engineering is critical for their success.

What Background Is a Good Fit for This Job?

University Majors

Biochemistry

Food Science & Technology

Material Science

Adjacent Industries

Cosmetic Industry

Food & Beverage Industry

Pharmaceutical Industry

Technical Skills

Nutritionist - Plant-based meat

Nutritionist

Job Role and Functions

Nutritionists play an essential role in ensuring that plant-based meat products meet consumers’ nutritional needs and health expectations. They analyse and optimise the nutritional content of food products to ensure that they are balanced and meet dietary guidelines. Their work involves formulating products to include necessary vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other nutrients while also considering factors such as calorie content and allergenicity.

Nutritionists assess the nutritional profiles of raw ingredients and finished products. They work closely with food technologists and application scientists to balance taste and nutritional value, often participating in sensory evaluations and consumer testing to gather feedback. Their projects might include developing nutrient-dense formulations, fortifying products with essential vitamins and minerals, and ensuring compliance with nutritional labelling standards.

The end goal for a Nutritionist is to create plant-based meat products that are not only delicious but also promote health and well-being. They require strong analytical skills, a thorough understanding of human nutrition, and the ability to interpret scientific data. Familiarity with dietary guidelines, nutrient analysis software, and regulatory requirements is crucial for their role.

What Background Is a Good Fit for This Job?

University Majors

Biochemistry

Food Science & Technology

Health & Nutrition

Adjacent Industries

Food & Beverage Industry

Clinical Dietitians

paper and quill

Public Health Specialists

Technical Skills

Operator - Plant-based meat

Extrusion Operator

Job Role and Functions

Extrusion Operators are crucial in the production of plant-based meat products, as extrusion is a key process used to create the fibrous textures that mimic animal meat. They operate and maintain extrusion equipment, monitor processing parameters, and ensure that the extruded products meet the required specifications for texture, moisture content, and consistency. Their responsibilities include setting up the extrusion machines, adjusting the process conditions, and troubleshooting any issues that arise during production.

Extrusion Operators monitor the extrusion process daily by checking temperature, pressure, and feed rates, making necessary adjustments to ensure optimal performance. They work closely with Food Technologists and Quality Control teams to ensure that the extruded products are high quality and meet safety standards. Their projects often involve testing new formulations and processing conditions to achieve the desired product characteristics.

The end goal for an Extrusion Operator is to produce consistent, high-quality plant-based meat products that meet the desired sensory and nutritional profiles. They need technical skills in operating and maintaining complex machinery, a strong understanding of the extrusion process, and the ability to work effectively under pressure. Attention to detail and problem-solving skills are also critical for their role.

What Background Is a Good Fit for This Job?

University Majors

Mechanical Engineering

Food Science & Technology

Chemical Engineering

Adjacent Industries

extrusion machine

Food Manufacturing

cardboard shipping box

Industrial Manufacturing & Packaging

plastic bottle and plastic bag

Plastics & Synthetics

Technical Skills

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