The rise in demand for environmentally sustainable and slaughter-free protein has led to the development of many innovative 'alternative proteins', intended to replicate the taste and texture of animal products.
Whilst farmers have been producing nutritionally complete plant proteins for millennia – such as beans, nuts, seeds, legumes and grains – meat-like replacements are more appealing to many Western palates, as many traditional dishes are meat-based.
Plant-based meat is the alternative protein most widely available today. These are meat-like products, such as burgers, sausages or mince, produced directly from plants. As a proportion of the meat market, these products have seen limited uptake, appealing largely to existing vegans, vegetarians or "flexitarians". The taste and nutritional profile are unable to convincingly mimic meat just yet. In addition, these products are often highly processed, which can deter consumers.
Given that cultivated meat is genetically identical to conventional meat, its flavour and nutritional profile have the potential to be almost exact replicas. However, the environmental and ethical advantages are significant, offering consumers considerable additional value compared to conventional meat.
By avoiding the inefficiencies inherent within conventional meat production, cultivated meat could reduce the carbon footprint of meat production by up to 92%. Its production requires 64-90% less land, causes 20-94% less air pollution and reduces marine eutrophication by 75-99% compared to chicken and beef, respectively. By overcoming the need for thousands of animals to live in close confinement together, it could also reduce the chance of zoonotic pandemics and remove the need for antibiotics in meat production, which currently accounts for around 70% of global antibiotic use. Furthermore, the nutritional content of cultivated meat can be enhanced, for example, by making meat products with lower fat content.
As cultivated meat is identical to conventional meat at a cellular level, it is likely to be more readily adopted than other alternative proteins by consumers, who understand the product, its health benefits and how to cook with it.
More novel alternative proteins, such as precision-fermented foods, may experience higher barriers to adoption from consumers. Precision fermentation is a highly efficient way of producing protein using microorganisms, the output of which could produce high-value functional ingredients that could be used in a range of animal product replacements. It could also produce nutrients for the growth media required to produce cultivated meat.
With cultivated meat, we have an opportunity to revolutionise meat production, making it more sustainable and ethical while preserving the flavours and textures that consumers value. The benefits for the climate and the biodiversity crisis are too significant to miss.
Continue Reading - Introduction to Red Tail Part 3: Building a Better Food System
