People claim they 'feel sick' after seeing how vegan 'meat' is made at Christmas

A new video has unveiled the somewhat stomach-churning process of creating a , leaving viewers both horrified and intrigued.

As more people are opting for meat-free diets, whether vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian, the demand for alternatives to traditional festive fare is on the rise. With fast approaching, many are hunting for a replacement for the customary turkey on their dinner tables.

One such alternative is 'Tofurky' - a tofu and wheat-based turkey substitute, manufactured in the company's Hood River factory in Oregon, Since its inception in 1980, Tofurky has proven immensely popular, with around 7.5 million roasts sold.

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However, the production process is far from appetising. The food appears grey, muddy and unappealing during its creation, as shown in a clip documenting Tofurky's history. Four individuals are tasked with making the 'masa,' or dough of tofu and wheat, which is blended with canola oil, water and seasonings to enhance texture and taste.

Another employee is responsible for preparing the wild rice stuffing at the heart of each holiday roast, incorporating breadcrumbs, celery, onion, carrot, leek and other seasonings. One worker is assigned to assemble the ingredients for the Tofurky's dry seasoning mix.

The two mixtures are then merged in an industrial procedure: a funnel within a funnel that guides the two savoury concoctions into a tube within a tube. Once cooked and chilled, the packages are boxed into their final consumer packaging, ready for distribution.

Tofurky's manufacturing process, including an unusual X-ray check for alien objects, has the internet fiercely debating. Comments poured in after footage of the production line went public.

"The epitome of processed food," quipped one viewer. Another chimed in with: "The saddest looking food ever." Meanwhile, a third simply branded the product: "Revolting."

However, not everyone was turned off. One person noted the irony: "I find it amusing that people think this looks disgusting when they don't realise most processed food tends to look this way when it's being produced. No worse than seeing sausages or burgers being made as they have to mix in other ingredients such as spices for those too."

Another supporter argued that scale is the issue: "If this recipe was made on a small scale in a home kitchen nobody would make negative comments. What is gross here? It's just food production on a massive scale. A turkey slaughterhouse is gross..."

And echoing similar sentiments, another commenter added perspective: "I mean, there are meat factories that are way worse looking (and I'm not a vegetarian). This is just mashed up tofu, grains and preservatives. You should see how they make hot or sausage."