Meat alternative

A meat alternative is a special kind of food made to look, feel, and taste like meat but without using any animal products. People who don’t eat meat, called vegetarians or vegans, often choose these foods. But now, more and more people are trying meat alternatives because they are good for the planet. Making real meat needs a lot of water, land, and energy, so many people are looking for ways to eat that are better for the Earth.

Meat alternatives are made from plants or fungi, like soy, wheat, peas, or even special kinds of mold. Some famous examples are tofu, tempeh, seitan, and products like the Beyond Burger. These foods try to copy the taste and texture of meat so it feels familiar and tasty.

People have been making meat-like foods for a very long time. For example, tofu was created in China over 2,000 years ago. Even in the Middle Ages, people used nuts and grapes to replace meat during special times of the year. Today, companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat make tasty plant-based burgers and chicken that many people enjoy.

History

Tofu, a food made from soybeans, was created in China during the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 CE). It was called "small mutton" because it looked and tasted like meat.

Later, in the third century CE, a writer named Athenaeus described how to make a fake anchovy from turnips.

Wheat gluten has been used since the sixth century in China.

When Buddhism arrived, people in China began eating less meat, so they made foods like tofu and wheat gluten to replace it.

In the 1800s, a man named John Harvey Kellogg made meat replacements from nuts and grains.

In 2016, a company called Impossible Foods made the Impossible Burger, a plant-based burger that looks and tastes like real beef. Soon after, restaurants like Burger King, Carl's Jr., and KFC began selling their own plant-based burgers.

Types

See also: List of meat substitutes, Milk substitute, and Egg substitute

Some vegetarian foods that taste like meat have been made for many years. These can be made from wheat gluten, rice, mushrooms, legumes, tempeh, yam flour, or pressed-tofu. Flavors are added to make them taste like chicken, beef, lamb, ham, sausage, or seafood. Other kinds use peanut flour, yuba, and textured vegetable protein. Yuba and textured vegetable protein come from soy. Some meat-like foods are made from special kinds of mold, such as Quorn, which often uses egg white to hold it together. Another type of meat-like food comes from tiny cells of bacteria, like Calysta.

Production and composition

Making food that looks and feels like meat can be done in two main ways: bottom-up and top-down. In the bottom-up way, tiny pieces are made first and then put together to make bigger products. An example of this is cultured meat. In the top-down way, the material is shaped to create a fibrous texture, making it look more like meat. An example of this is food extrusion.

Both methods can be used together or alone. The bottom-up method lets makers control exactly what goes into the product, which can help make it very nutritious. The top-down method can use more common farming materials and is easier to scale up for large production. Some companies are even using special bacteria or fungi to make new kinds of meat-like foods.

Common ingredients for meat alternatives include soy protein isolates and gluten. These are processed to remove fats and carbohydrates, leaving a neutral-tasting base. Flavors are then added to make the product taste more like meat, using natural ingredients and cooking processes.

Commerce

Meat substitutes make up about 11% of the world's meat and substitute market as of 2020. Prices for these products have been going down over the years, dropping by 33% from 2013 to 2021. Sometimes they cost more than regular meat, but this can change based on what the product is made from.

People choose meat substitutes for different reasons. Many are trying to stay healthier or manage their weight. Others avoid meat because of concerns about animal welfare or because of environmental reasons. Some cultures and religions, like Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism, and Buddhism, also avoid eating certain animal products.

You can find vegan meats in restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, vegan school meals, and at home. The market for plant-based meats grew quickly in North America between 2017 and 2018. In the United States, sales of these products reached $895 million in 2018–19, and the global market is expected to grow to $140 billion by 2029. Interest in plant-based foods grew even more during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some experts believe that plant-based foods and special lab-grown meats could replace animal products completely by the year 2100.

Impact

Besides ethical and health reasons, making better meat alternatives can help reduce the environmental problems caused by traditional meat production. With the world's demand for meat expected to grow, plant-based options could use much less land and water. For example, plant-based meats can use up to 99% less land and water than regular meat.

There are also health benefits to eating meat alternatives. They often have less saturated fat and more fiber than meat. However, some experts say we still need more research to fully understand their health effects. Overall, switching to plant-based meats can be good for both our health and the planet, though some processed versions may not be as nutritious as whole plant foods.

Criticism

Some dietitians say that foods made by companies like Beyond Meat might not be much healthier than meat because they are very processed and have a lot of sodium. However, eating these plant-based options instead of other highly processed foods may help lower the risk of some health problems.

Leaders from companies like Whole Foods and Chipotle Mexican Grill have said that meat alternatives are too processed. Because of this, Chipotle decided not to sell these products at first. Later, though, Chipotle made its own plant-based chorizo. In 2022, Taco Bell also started offering plant-based meats.

Some experts want companies that make plant-based meats to share more information about how these foods affect the environment. A few people also feel that plant-based meats are linked to certain political ideas, which has changed how some people see them.

In some places, like Louisiana, there are rules that say plant-based meats cannot call themselves “meat.” A company called Tofurky challenged these rules and won, saying it was a free speech issue.

Companies like Beyond Meat try to attract people who normally eat meat. However, some experts think this can make people feel the products are not completely natural. This is because people often think of some foods as “good” for them and others as less healthy. Ready-made meat alternatives can feel like they are in between these two groups, which can be confusing for shoppers.