What is considered fake meat? The definitive guide to plant-based and cultivated alternatives

December 9, 2025 •

3 min read

The global plant-based meat market was valued at approximately $7.9 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $15.7 billion by 2027, highlighting its rapid growth. This growth has brought the term “fake meat” into the mainstream, referring to food products designed to imitate traditional animal meat, but the reality is more nuanced, encompassing various technologies and ingredients.

Quick Summary

This guide defines fake meat, differentiating between plant-based options made from soy, pea, and wheat, and cultivated meat grown from animal cells. It explores ingredients, production methods, and clarifies common misconceptions about these meat alternatives, which are driven by health, ethical, and environmental factors.

Key Points

Diverse Categories: Fake meat is not a single product but falls into two main categories: plant-based meat and cultivated (lab-grown) meat.
Plant-Based Ingredients: Modern plant-based alternatives are made primarily from proteins derived from soy, peas, wheat, and fungi, along with oils, flavors, and binders.
Cultivated Meat's Origin: Cultivated meat is grown from real animal cells in a lab, making it biologically identical to traditional meat, but without the need for farming and slaughter.
Production Methods: Plant-based meat is created using high-moisture extrusion to achieve a fibrous texture, while cultivated meat involves multiplying cells in bioreactors.
Nutritional Variation: The healthiness of plant-based meat varies, often offering lower saturated fat and fiber but potentially higher sodium than traditional meat; cultivated meat is nutritionally equivalent to its animal source.
Market Trends: The market for meat alternatives is rapidly expanding due to increasing consumer awareness of health, environmental impact, and animal welfare.
Lab-Grown vs. Vegan: Cultivated meat is not vegan because it is derived from animal cells, whereas plant-based meat is entirely vegan.

Plant-Based Meat: Centuries-Old Innovation

Plant-based meat has a long history, with early forms like tofu and seitan existing for thousands of years, particularly influenced by vegetarian traditions. Modern plant-based products aim to replicate the sensory experience of traditional meat more closely.

Key Ingredients in Plant-Based Meat

Modern plant-based meat utilizes various ingredients to achieve its texture and flavor. Common protein sources include soy, pea, wheat gluten (seitan), and mycoprotein (from fungi). Other components include binders, oils, spices, and coloring agents like beet juice or heme protein from engineered yeast.

How Plant-Based Meat is Made

The production of modern plant-based meat often uses high-moisture extrusion, a process that blends and heats ingredients, aligning protein fibers to create a meat-like texture.

Cultivated Meat: The Future of Protein

Cultivated meat, also known as lab-grown or cell-based meat, is real animal meat grown from a sample of animal cells in a laboratory.

The Cultivation Process

The process involves collecting stem cells from an animal, growing them in nutrient-rich bioreactors, and arranging them on a scaffold to form tissue before harvesting.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Cultivated Meat

Cultivated meat offers potential sustainability and ethical advantages by reducing the need for animal farming. However, challenges include high production costs, energy requirements, and consumer acceptance.

Is Fake Meat Healthy?

The nutritional value of meat alternatives varies. Plant-based options may offer fiber and lower saturated fat but can be high in sodium and considered ultra-processed. Cultivated meat is nutritionally similar to conventional meat.

The Health vs. Processing Debate

While some plant-based options are processed, they may not be less healthy than red meat, depending on the specific product and diet. Less-processed plant foods like beans and tofu remain the healthiest choices, but processed alternatives can aid in transitioning away from meat.

Comparison of Fake Meat Types


Feature	Plant-Based Meat	Cultivated (Lab-Grown) Meat
Source	Plant proteins (soy, pea, wheat, etc.)	Animal cells grown in a lab
Composition	Varies by product; plant proteins, fats, fibers	Identical to conventional meat (muscle, fat, etc.)
Vegan/Vegetarian	Yes, typically fully plant-based	Not considered vegan or vegetarian, as it contains animal material
Production	Extrusion and blending of plant ingredients	Cell collection and growth in bioreactors
Availability	Widely available in stores and restaurants	Very limited, mainly in select test markets
Health Impact	Varies; can be high in sodium and ultra-processed, but often lower in saturated fat and contains fiber	Nutritionally similar to traditional meat; health impacts are tied to the specific animal meat it mimics
Environmental Impact	Generally lower greenhouse gas emissions, though processing energy can be a factor	Potential for lower resource use, but energy-intensive production raises sustainability questions

Conclusion: A Diverse and Evolving Market

"Fake meat" encompasses distinct categories: plant-based alternatives using various plant proteins to mimic meat, and cultivated meat, which is real animal meat grown in a lab. Plant-based options are widely available, while cultivated meat is still in early development. Both address growing consumer interest in health, environment, and animal welfare, and the market is expected to continue evolving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Plant-based meat is made from a variety of ingredients, most commonly soy protein, pea protein, or wheat gluten. Manufacturers use advanced food technology to combine these proteins with oils (like coconut or canola), starches, spices, and natural colorings (like beet juice) to mimic the flavor and texture of animal meat.

Yes, cultivated meat is a type of fake meat, but it is fundamentally different from plant-based versions. It is grown from actual animal cells in a laboratory environment, not from plants. Therefore, while it is not animal-slaughtered, it is real animal flesh.

It depends on the specific product. Many plant-based alternatives contain less saturated fat and include dietary fiber, which real meat lacks. However, some can be highly processed and high in sodium. Cultivated meat is nutritionally the same as traditional meat. It is essential to read the nutritional labels to make an informed choice.

Consumers choose fake meat for various reasons, including environmental concerns (reduced greenhouse gas emissions and land use), ethical reasons (animal welfare), and personal health goals. For many, it offers a way to reduce meat consumption without giving up the taste and texture they enjoy.

Tofu is a traditional, minimally processed plant-based meat substitute made from coagulated soy milk, valued for its versatility in absorbing flavors. Modern plant-based meats, like Impossible or Beyond, are highly engineered products that use advanced techniques like extrusion to more closely replicate the specific texture and taste of conventional animal meat.

It is unlikely to completely replace traditional meat in the near future. While it offers a sustainable alternative, its high production cost and current limited availability make it a niche market. Widespread consumer acceptance is still developing, and traditional farming benefits from an established infrastructure and economies of scale.

No. While popular modern fake meat products like those from Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods are often considered ultra-processed, older and less-processed alternatives like tofu, tempeh, or seitan are also forms of fake meat. The level of processing can vary widely depending on the type of product.