Plant-based meat

Plant-based meat is an alternative to genuine meat that is created for people who choose not to eat meat. Although the concept of plant-based meat was common in several cultures, especially in China, many centuries earlier, some of the earliest commercial plant-based meats in the Western world were developed by the inventor John Harvey Kellogg  in the early nineteenth century, but they did not become popular with consumers until the end of the twentieth century. Though early plant-based meat did not taste like genuine meat, later attempts have produced replications of beef patties, chicken, sausage, and other foods that taste and look like animal products. In most cases, plant-based meat derives its protein from beans, soy, or pea extract.

Some advocates of plant-based meats argue eating them is more ethical than eating real meat. They believe that consuming actual meat is cruel to animals and farming large numbers of livestock contributes to the acceleration of global climate change. If a significant portion of the world switched to plant-based meats, the demand for livestock might drop, reducing the industry’s impact on climate change. Critics of plant-based meats argue that the products are heavily processed, even though they may sometimes be described as natural.

Background

The first plant-based meat was pioneered by the famed food-maker John Harvey Kellogg in the late nineteenth century. Kellogg was a devout Seventh-day Adventist and believed that humanity was best served by avoiding exciting food. Kellogg was known for developing and marketing a wide variety of foods, including granola and corn flakes.

While trying to create a less-exciting meat alternative, Kellogg turned to plant-based meats. He used peanuts and other vegetables to develop a paste that could be formed into the shape of cuts of meat. The meat substitute, which Kellogg named Nuttose, became popular in sanitariums, which were places that treated the chronically ill.

However, plant-based meat remained unpopular until the late twentieth century. In 1985, the British company Quorn began producing meat substitutes using a high-protein fungus. Soon afterward, companies began to use tofu which has a long history, a soybean-based substance, to create alternative meat products. Because of beans’ high protein content, many tofu-based meats can provide as much protein as genuine meat.

As vegetarianism and veganism became more popular, the demand for substitute meat products grew. In 2002, the fast food franchise Burger King unveiled the BK Veggie Burger. Other fast food establishments soon followed. Two companies, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, opened in Silicon Valley in the late 2000s and early 2010s, respectively, intending to be the first successful companies to provide customers with alternatives to meat. The companies provided similar products but used different formulas. While Beyond Meat used a new technique involving protein extracted from yellow peas, Impossible Foods used a more traditional soy base, in addition to potato proteins. Impossible Foods’ product also used heme, a substance that naturally occurs in many living organisms, allowing its substitute to behave in a manner extremely similar to genuine meat products. In 2019, Impossible Foods partnered with Burger King to release the Impossible Whopper across the United States. Still, even as a greater variety of plant-based meat products appeared in grocery stores and restaurants around the world as companies worked to refine their taste, by the 2020s there was some fluctuation in the global market and demand due to different countries' evolving economic situations as well as lingering questions about the true healthiness of the products, among other factors.

Originally, plant-based meat bore little resemblance to genuine meat. Manufacturers struggled to create the correct texture, taste, color, and consistency. However, plant-based meat in the 2020s tends to behave in a similar manner to genuine meat. For example, plant-based burgers have the same texture as genuine meat, appear pink when uncooked, and brown when cooked. They also sizzle in a pan like genuine meat and remain juicy when served.

Overview

Most plant-based meat is made from multiple plant extracts, oils, fats, and proteins. These ingredients are combined with binders and then heated and pressed into a form resembling genuine meat, giving the imitation product the correct shape and texture. Though plant-based meat is not identical to genuine meat, it has a similar taste and provides a similar dining experience.

Meat substitutes are particularly popular with vegetarians and vegans, who have made a personal decision to abstain from consuming meat. However, many people who abstain from meat miss its taste and turn to plant-based meat instead of eating genuine meat. Additionally, many restaurants have come to include plant-based meat on their menu to ensure that vegetarian options are available to order.

Most plant-based meat widely uses one of two sources of protein: peas and soy. Plant-based meat products based on peas tend to be free from cholesterol and highly nutritional, and contains essential amino acids. However, some pea-based imitation meats contain unhealthy additives, reducing their nutritional value. Soy-based meats are high in iron and often contain nutrients similar to those in genuine burgers. Other plant-based meats may be based on rice, grains, and wheat gluten.

Some activists argue that switching to plant-based meat on a worldwide scale might be better for the environment. They assert that the process of raising countless livestock for meat releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This increases the rate at which heat is trapped on Earth, accelerating the pace of global climate change. As more people switch to consuming plant-based meat, the demand for livestock may drop, reducing the amount of gases released.

Other activists argue that the process of raising meat for slaughter is unethical. They believe that the conditions in which livestock are raised and the butchering of those animals causes unnecessary pain and suffering. Such activists contend that switching to plant-based meat is better for the animals.

Some critics point out that plant-based meat is often highly processed food. Each aspect of imitation meat is carefully crafted and engineered to replicate the texture and taste of genuine meat. However, advocates of plant-based meat assert that heavily processed food is more convenient, lasts longer, and contains additives that often make it taste better.

But beyond what critics and activists say, an estimate indicated that the United States represented roughly 25 percent of global retail sales of plant-based meat and seafood in 2024, with Europe owning the largest share, about 54 percent of total retail sales. Therefore, the estimates suggest strong potential for the industry.

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