TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A state-owned start-up will be established by the end of this year for the development of plant-based meat using a technology that Taiwan’s economic ministry says makes meat “remarkably similar” to real meat.

The breakthrough was made as part of a project at the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and presented at BIO Asia-Taiwan 2023. The event is taking place between July 26-30 in Taipei, bringing biotech and pharmaceutical businesses from North America, Europe, and Asia to Taiwan’s emerging biotech sector, according to the event website.

A deviation from the traditional use of texturized vegetable protein (TVP), the new approach creates whole-cut vegetable meat with a fiber structure without the need to be reconstituted, according to the DoIT. This allows for a texture more authentic to that of real meat, it said.

The plant-dependent meat analogs can be made to mimic the taste of chicken, pork, fish, or beef, which come with high amounts of soy protein and wheat gluten. No further additives are needed, such as adhesive agents during production, except for simple seasoning, the department said.

The DoIT said the technology is environmentally friendly and has the potential to be commercialized. It will become an advantage for Taiwan as it competes in the global plant-based meat market, according to the tech branch of the economic ministry.