Meat alternatives is an alternative term for meat substitutes: products designed to replace meat in the diet. They range from traditional tofu and tempeh to modern extruded plant-protein products engineered to mimic meat’s fibrous texture and savoury flavour, formulated from soy, pea, wheat gluten, mycoprotein or other protein sources with fats, binders, colours and flavourings. They serve consumers reducing meat intake for health, environmental or ethical reasons. Nutritionally they must be judged on protein quality (amino-acid profile, digestibility), micronutrients such as iron and vitamin B12, and sodium content; safety management covers allergen labelling for soy, wheat, pea and others, novel-ingredient approvals and hygienic chilled distribution.