Textured Vegetable Protein

Textured vegetable protein, often called TVP, is a meat substitute made from defatted soy flour, a byproduct of extracting oil from soybeans, developed and trademarked by the Archer Daniels Midland company in the 1960s. It is manufactured by heating the soy flour to high temperatures and extruding it under pressure, a process that reshapes the proteins into a fibrous structure resembling meat once rehydrated. Sold dried in flakes, chunks or granules with a long shelf life, TVP is used in vegetarian versions of dishes such as chili, tacos and spaghetti sauce, and its low cost relative to ground meat has also made it common in school lunch programs and emergency food supplies.