Ethan C. Darwin

This study characterizes the mechanical, rheological, and sensory properties of lion's mane mushroom steak, showing it has favorable texture and perceived softness compared to meat alternatives.

Plant-based products span stiffness 56.65 kPa (firm tofu) to 418.9 kPa (Tofurky roast), bracketing three processed animal meats; stiffness plus shear storage and loss moduli were the most consistent readouts.

Plant-based deli slices are over twice as stiff as animal deli meats under biaxial tension; stiffness tracks brittleness rated by 18 tasters (ρ = 0.857).

The paper measures the mechanical and sensory properties of plant-based and animal meats using multi-dimensional tests and neural networks, finding that some plant-based products closely mimic animal meats in texture.