HANGZHOU, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ham producer Jinzi said Wednesday that it is capable of producing plant-based meat with similar flavor and nutrients as real meat.
By extracting plant proteins from soybeans, peas, wheat and other vegetables and grains, the faux meat was claimed to be cholesterol-free and contain no animal hormones or antibiotics, according to Ma Xiaozhong, CTO and chief engineer of the company.
The company has obtained a food production license for its new plant-based product, and a total of 1,000 beef-flavored artificial patties had been sold out online in a nine-day presale, he added.
Located in the city of Jinhua in east China's Zhejiang Province, dubbed "the hometown of Chinese ham," Jinzi has been working together with DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences on meat alternatives since July.
The meat processor is able to produce five tonnes of plant-based meat products a day and has developed pork-flavored artificial patties and meatballs.
