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Meat substitute, imitation meat and vegan meat
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Thursday, 23 February, 2023, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Anu Singh
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The meat industry cannot respond to a surge in demand for meat by increasing resource by aggressive production or breeding animals for food consumption. Concurrently, it is facing stiff competition from non-traditional meat and protein products in an increasingly complicated regulatory setting.
These unique products are known as ‘Fake or artificial meat’. At present, these artificial meats from genetically modified organisms (GMO) have no way to compete with conventional meat production.
However, meat analogs from plant proteins and mycoproteins are currently the biggest competitors and are gaining a small percentage of the market. They are also known by several names like meat substitute, imitation meat and vegan meat. These foodstuffs almost mimic certain aesthetic qualities like texture, flavoiur, appearance and chemical characteristics of specific types of meat.
Many such products are soy-based or gluten-based and now may also be pea protein-based food. For many people, the pleasure of eating meat comes served with a side of guilt. Breeding animals for food ends up in climate variation, polluted water, and destruction of animal habitat. Many social campaigns and dietary recommendations by various organisations always encourage eating less meat, particularly red meat.
But for meat lovers, any kind of alternative protein source does not match for the experience of eating real meat. For this reason, global demand for meat is projected to skyrocket. In recent times scientists are using food science, tissue engineering and biotechnology to develop new meat substitutes with the texture, taste, and appearance of meat to deliver the pleasure, without the environmental consequences.
Mostly these food products are funded by multinational companies. Whether driven by a desire to save the planet or make healthier foods, these food innovators hope high-tech toolkits will help to create products that meat-eaters love. Health-conscious and ecosystem concerned generation trying to stay away from meat consumption. This led to growing attraction towards plant-based mock meat, that mimic the texture and taste of real animal meat.
Dietary proteins
Meat is considered as the highest quality protein source due to its nutritional characteristics which consist of all essential amino acids along with other non-essential amino acids and for its pleasant taste. The major differences between plant and animal protein are in their amino acid composition. Most of the plant proteins are incomplete since they are lacking at least one of the essential amino acids. Also, some plant proteins may take a longer duration for the body to digest due to presence of anti-nutritional factor.
Why going for a meat substitute?
The vegan population reportedly increased all over the world. The younger population are more inclined towards reduced meat consumption due to environmental reasons. At the same time, various studies report indicated that 56% of respondents felt the meat is not compulsory in their regular meal. Due to change in the eating habits of people citing religious, ethical, environmental and health concerns the ratio of meat-eaters continue to decrease year after year. Yet, the eating pattern has transformed from consuming real meat to alternative fake meat products. Some vegetarian meat analogs are based on centuries-old recipes like seitan (wheat gluten), mushrooms, legumes with added flavours to taste like natural animal meat. Another popular meat alternative is modified defatted peanut flour, textured vegetable protein (TVP) is used as soy-based meat analogues.
Benefits and potential impact of consuming fake meat
The fake meat substitutes are designed to equal animal alternatives in taste and texture. Similarly, the nutrient composition of vegetarian products to a great extent is analogous to the corresponding meat products in the market. The benefits of the plant-based substitutes over animal food are the presence of a low amount of saturated fat in addition to high fibre content depending on the ingredients. People are switching over from eating natural meat to plant-based mock meat either contains an optimal amount of vitamins, protein, fibre and lower saturated fat thus anticipating long-term health benefits such as the reduced risk of cancer, heart ailments, and diabetes. Other than that, relatively less land space and water availability are required for cultivating plants for food than rearing animals for meat. Studies suggest that mycoproteins help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels and can even lower LDL cholesterol levels as they are cholesterol-free, low in saturated fat content and no trans fatty acids.
Fake meat and health
In contrast to dairy substitutes, meat substitutes are generally not fortified. Hence, these vegetarian alternatives provide no compensation for nutrients derived from animal products. Unfortunately, these alternatives often contain high amounts of salt along with additives such as flavouring agents or preservatives. These mock meats which are generally priced higher than their traditional counterparts may become more pocket-friendly in the near future as people are very much concerned about food safety globally.
Gluten-based mock meat may taste good but only hitch is they come with zero nutritional value, digestive disorders, mood swing and reduced energy balance in the body. Presence of many eateries promoting vegan food but offering fake meat in the market makes us rethink our relationship with food. The number of people turning to veganism is on the rise for both health reasons and ethical ones depending on type of fake meat we consume. But on the flip side, people after consuming these food products reported with digestive complications due to high fibre and protein content. Some are allergic to mycoproteins developed adverse reactions like abdominal pain, vomiting and throat infections.
Barriers to switching diet towards fake meat
The barriers concerning the consumption of fake meat vary for different consumer groups; thus, an intervention that is effective for one group of consumers may not be successful for other groups. It has been reported that lower acceptance of fake meat in Asian countries compared to Western countries is due to cultural differences, food habits, availability, and accessibility issues, and, most importantly, awareness.
Appearance, texture, and ?avour are key aspects in?uencing the acceptance and consumption of products. Various studies have found that price, brand name, gender, food neophobia, education and awareness, nutrition, labelling, environmental concerns, and technological in formation in?uence the selection of meat or fake meat. Consumers remain hesitant to try unfamiliar or new food products, resulting in negative preferences. Another barrier to acceptance of fake meat is technological distrust, as consumers generally reject advanced technologies, such as genetically modi?ed foods, due to concerns about safety. A big hurdle in fake meat acceptance is associated with beliefs about sensory attributes, taste, and fake meat products being incomplete/unsatisfactory, as people may think that meat products taste better than fake meats, even when all the products in question have the same taste and appearance. The degrees of food neophobia that consumers experience directly affect their meal choices. A variety of factors (culture, hobbies, habits, morals, and qualities) have direct impacts on the performance (positive or negative) of products in the market. People who habitually eat meat dislike fake meat. Thus, fake meat typically appeals more to people with less meat attachment.
Effects of fake meat on rural life and animal farming
The worldwide demand for meat has increased almost by 58% during the last two decades. By 2050, the population of the globe is expected to reach 9.7 billion, according to UN predictions. Thus, it is anticipated that there will be a sharp rise in the demand and likelihood towards animal products worldwide in the coming years due to increasing population and per capita utilisation.
Numerous economies rely heavily on the animal husbandry industry, and the production and consumption of animal products is often rooted in long-standing social and cultural customs. The production of meat is becoming more challenging because of various factors such as water and land shortages, animal safety, and climate transformation. Fake meat that resembles traditional meat in taste and texture is thus being developed to meet the growing population’s need for protein. The demand for different crops as source of plant proteins is likely to increase as the market for fake meat expands, which will provide wide range of options for farmers who already cultivate such crops or who might add them to their rotations.
However, some people and communities who majorly depend on animal husbandry for their livelihoods or commercial viability perceive fake meat as a direct threat. In general, it is quite unlikely that people would entirely switch from animal meat to fake meat. The primary purpose of fake meat would be to satisfy expanding protein demands rather than completely replace animal meat products. Additionally, fake meat can also help feed people in poor countries and disaster-prone regions (e.g., ?ood and earthquake zones) to ful?l their protein needs, where food supply and preservation are dif?cult. Thus, the capability of fake meat to satisfy the demand for protein in poorer or developing countries is strictly subject to affordable price levels.
Economic sustainability
The ability of the fake meat industry to price its products competitively with respect to conventional meat is one of the key to success. The higher consumer acceptability of fake meat depends on price equality with animal meat, which is related to the capability of the industry to scale up production. Fake meat needs to become more affordable to compete with animal-based meat products, as affordability is associated with purchasing intentions. Price is an important factor that must be taken into consideration to make fake meat appealing to consumers and to gain market share. In addition to taste and texture, a competitive price is crucial for market penetration, as price is a factor that could either encourage or discourage consumers from buying fake meat products.
(The author is assistant professor,Jaipur National University)
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