A meat extender is a non-meat substance with substantial protein content, used to partially replace meat in a meat product.Heinz, G. & Hautzinger, P. "Meat Processing Technology", "Food and Agriculture Organization", 2007, accessed April 27, 2011. Extenders are distinguished from fillers by their high protein content, compared to the high carbohydrate content of fillers.
Extenders were originally used to reduce costs, but they were later used to make meat products more healthy by adding plant protein, dietary fiber, or to improve the texture."Meat Products with High Levels of Extenders and Fillers", FAO. Retrieved July 2, 2013 Meat extenders were used in the United States in the 1940s, with rolled oats used as an extender in sausage meat, and dishes such as stuffed cabbage were considered to be a suitable way of extending meat."Rolled Oats Good Sausage Meat Extender", Chicago Daily Tribune, July 20, 1944, p. 15
By the 1970s, soy protein was commonly used as a meat extender.Weaver, Peter (1974) "Extender Saves on Meat", The Evening Independent, May 28, 1974, p. 11A Textured vegetable protein, which was invented in the 1960s, has become a common extender in the 1990s.
See also
List of meat substitutes Fillers Meat analogue
References