Sunflower Seeds Could Provide the Next Big Meat Alternative

Scientists in Brazil and Germany have turned sunflower seeds into a promising new meat substitute. The project, a collaboration between Brazil's Institute of Food Technology (ITAL), the University of Campinas, and Germany's Fraunhofer IVV Institute, saw the researchers first extract the seeds' oil then remove their husks and specific phenolic compounds to make the resulting flour more palatable and easier to digest. The textured sunflower protein they ended up with "has a very neutral taste and aroma, especially compared to the various vegetable proteins on the market," says lead author Maria Teresa Bertoldo Pacheco, per Science Daily.

Two burger prototypes were tested: One using flour made from roasted sunflower grains, the other with the aforementioned sunflower protein. Both were flavored with tomato powder, spices, and a mix of oils, then baked into small patties. Tests showed the textured protein version had a superior "meat-like" consistency and packed a greater nutritional punch—more protein, nearly half the daily iron requirement, and substantial amounts of zinc, magnesium, and manganese.

Indeed, as VegOut reports, "Strip away the oil (sunflower seeds are about 45% fat) and you're left with a defatted press cake that clocks in at nearly 50% protein—higher than chickpeas and only a shade below soy." The researchers point out that sunflowers aren't genetically modified, making the resulting protein attractive to GMO-averse consumers. Sunflower meals' "absence of common allergens," makes it doubly attractive, the researchers say in their study. Still, it wasn't a breeze: They note "significant challenges were encountered in harmonizing nutritional, technological, and sensory aspects."