Experts Weigh Benefits and Disadvantages of Plant-Based Fake Meats

In recent years, several fake meats have swarmed the market. The innovations, like the Impossible and Beyond Meats, reached not only the local supermarkets but also the giant food chains we grew up with and are scattered across the globe.

Meat Alternatives

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Packages of "Impossible Burger" and "Beyond Meat" sit on a shelf for sale on November 15, 2019. - Vegetarian alternatives to burgers and sausages, revived by start-ups like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger, are enjoying a certain enthusiasm that meat giants also want to enjoy. Since this summer, the world leader in the JBS sector has been marketing a soy burger in Brazil that includes beetroot, garlic, and onions, with a look similar to a rare minced steak. In the US, the largest meat producer Tyson Foods launched a new line of products in June based on plants or mixing meat and vegetables. Its competitors, Hormel Foods, Perdue Farms, and Smithfield, have similar initiatives.

This growing initiative is an attempt by conglomerates to appeal to non-meat eaters. Many restaurants in a single local place can be noticed with a couple or more meat alternatives slipped into their menus.

According to a report by Vox, about 41 percent of people in the US have already tried eating these veggie-based meats.

A market analysis explained that by the end of the decade, the trajectory of alternative meat could reach over $140 billion. This means that, after ten years, fake meats could dominate at least ten percent of the country's meat market.

Unlike the fake meat variants introduced in the past, the modern-day choices are significantly better in terms of quality and taste. The development of these meats was made possible through the cutting-edge technologies that we have and formulas that cater to the best of our taste bud's preferences.

'Technically Food' author and journalism specialist Larissa Zimberoff explained that the term 'plant-based' serves as a 'health halo' for many food choices. However, the alternative food might have other contents that invalidate how it is supposed to be, such as unhealthy fillers and additives.

Plant-based meat, according to Zimberoff, could also be an ultra-processed food.

New York University's Department of Nutrition and Food Studies expert Amy Bentley explained in a cover by Bon Appetit that the likelihood of people choosing fake meats is induced by the common perception of the contrast between natural beef and 'healthier' plant-based options.

In addition, Bentley said that selecting these choices is driven partly by the association of products, wherein if promoted as 'écofriendly' and ethical, it is automatically considered full of nutrition right away.

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Fake Meats, How They are Made, and What They Contribute to Human Health

Penn State's food science specialist John Coupland explained that fake meats are usually produced by combining a collection of ingredients in a massive mixer, becoming somewhat similar to an ordinary dough.

From this phase, factories follow how normal meats are processed, such as how nuggets, sausages, burger patties, and ground beef are modified into familiar shapes. After the reshaping approach, these alternatives are then shipped to their respective shops for consumers to buy.

Veganism expert Taylor Wolfram said that newer versions of fake meats have some nutrients. Variants made from soy or pea are found with amino acid lysine and proteins.

Intuitive Eating counselor Kara Lydon said that most Beyond and Impossible foods have the same protein content as the original foods they mimic. In addition, there is very little saturated fat that most modern fake meat offers.

But alongside the benefits of fake meats, there are still downsides that are seemingly alarming. For example, most fake meats imitate food choices that were scientifically proven to have been cruel to most Americans' health and lifestyle, such as those included in the so-called 'baseball stadium menu.'

Lydon explained that foods made from plants instead of animals do not imply that it is healthier for an individual. Compared to the conventional meat-based burgers available, Beyond and Impossible burgers have the same amount of saturated fat and even higher sodium content.

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