Course:CONS200/2023/Innovations around synthetic meats as a viable solution to move to plant-based diets

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Introduction

What is a plant-based diet?

The term "plant-based diet" is ambiguous. For some people, this definition refers to exclusions of any and all animal-derived products [1], (vegan) to low volumes or frequencies of animal products (semi-vegetarian), only seafood, with either the inclusion or exclusion of eggs and dairy (pescatarian), and only eggs and dairy (lacto-ovo vegetarian) [2]. Many more dietary patterns fit underneath the umbrella of a "plant-based diet", however, the general consensus appears to indicate that a plant-based diet can be defined as an eating pattern that primarily focuses on consuming a greater proportion of food derived from plants, than that of those derived from animal sources[3]. This includes high volumes of fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts, grains, legumes, and beans[3]. Additionally, many followers of plant-based diets turn to meat substitutes or alternatives.

What are synthetic meats?

Synthetic meat is a meat substitute, a product with similar appearance, taste, texture and nutritional value to conventional meat[4]. Synthetic meat first appeared in the 1970s[5] and was often used to refer to soy protein[4]. Dr. Mark J. Post, a pharmacologist from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, is credited with developing the technology, which extracts cells from live cattle to make edible filaments[6]. The main reasons for the emergence of synthetic meat are for environmental protection, protection of animal welfare and health value for people[7]. It is certain that the technology of synthetic meat is an area of science full of uncertainty and doubt, which is beneficial for the development of future research[4]. In addition, further research should focus on improving nutrition and safety, and enriching the taste of synthetic meat to meet consumer demand for the product[8].

Innovations in synthetic meats

Soy products

The most widely known synthetic meat, or meat alternative, is soy protein[8]. Soy protein is defined as the protein found within soybeans. It is often isolated and used to replace animal protein[9] in diets of reduced (or excluded) meat consumption. Soy products, such as the widely used tofu, exhibit properties such as high nutritional value, low cost, and fibrous anisotropic structure[8] (similar to that of animal protein) which make it not only a viable alternative to meat, but rather popular amongst those who follow a plant-based diet. The benefits of the consumption of soy products include providing all nine essential amino acids[8] (Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine), as well as reducing the risks of cardiovascular and hyperlipidemia diseases[8], and multiple forms of cancer[9]. Soy products also have a significantly lower greenhouse gas emission per 100 grams (0.21kg CO2), than that of beef (17.8kg CO2)[8].

Wheat protein products

Wheat protein products, usually referred to as wheat gluten, are by far the most commonly added exotic protein to meat products[10], one of the better known being seitan. Seitan is currently used in conjunction with soy protein to make bacon, and despite containing more calories than traditional pork bacon, seitan protein-based bacon is lower in fat than traditional pork bacon and provides more protein[11].

Lab-grown products

Lab-grown meat is an "[a]nimal-free animal food product" and comes very close to real meat in taste, look, and feel[12]. In addition, some laboratory-grown meat is made by extracting cells from animals, also known as “in vitro meat, cultured meat, and clean meat”[13].The plant-based burger patty is one of the laboratory-grown meat products used in many fast food restaurants such as Burger King, and this laboratory burger patty can even "bleed" like a real beef patty[14]. Currently, lab-grown meat is still in its infancy, so many consumers are less willing to eat them and some even think that lab-grown meat is harmful, although many studies have proved the safety of lab-grown meat[13]. Cultured meat aims to satisfy the main issues beef production has created. Cultured meat is made through a process where muscle cells are collected from isolated animals and they're produced in a tissue culture through a laboratory. Since cultured meat is in such an early stage it is difficult to assess its carbon footprint, but the solutions it potentially creates are assured. Culturing of myocyte cells claims to solve three main issues. The first component of myocyte culturing is it is culturing solely muscle tissues, which ultimately decreases leftover waste from the cow. The second component describes that tissue cultivation is predicted to be a much faster process than raising a cow until it is the age where it is ready to be slaughtered. And thirdly, cell-based meat production systems are capable of using much less space as not nearly as much cattle is required, avoiding the deforestation and greenhouse gases that beef production causes. [15] Because this meat production system would have minimal land requirements, it would allow for the production of this to occur in domestic countries that typically rely on imported meats.[15] On the strength of this, it would make this meat system much easier to implement globally to reduce climate change. This reduces emissions largely in a transportation sense as well.In terms of how effiecient this would be in combatting global warming there are some minor setbacks represented in the system. Cultured meat doesn’t traffic as much CH4, but this is also argued to not be the most effective solution. In a study conducted at Oxford by the “Livestock, Environment and People'' program, the climate change impacts of the production of lab-grown meat were assessed. [16]Through this study a vital aspect that was taken into account, was how this will affect greenhouse gas accumulation long term. Some gases stay in the atmosphere much longer than others, so prioritizing which gases are most important to eliminate is a vital component that lab-grown meat companies need to explore further. Although lab-grown meat production ultimately reduces CH4 emissions, the production requires large energy inputs which leads to increased CO2 in the atmosphere. The main support to this argument that the study provides is that C02 in the atmosphere would persist for an extended period of time, whilst CH4 only lasts a few decades in the atmosphere.

Why a plant-based diet?

Health benefits of a plant-based diet

Meat consumption is a staple of many diets in Western culture[17]. However, unhealthy lifestyles are contributing to the rise of health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease[18] Meat, in particular, red meat, such as beef, lamb, and pork, contain high amounts of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids, which when ingested in large quantities, may cause health issues such as cardiovascular diseases[17]. Following a plant-based diet has been proven to be highly effective in weight loss, as more calories may be burned after meals in contrast to non-plant-based diets where food is stored as fat[18]. Additionally, individuals who eat a plant-based diet have a lower chance of developing diabetes by approximately half than those who do not[18]. It has also been proven that a reduction in the consumption of red and processed meats is also linked to a reduced likelihood of cancer[19].

Environmental benefits of a plant-based diet

Meat and dairy combined are responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions [20]. The first step to tackling climate change is tackling one of the main roots of greenhouse gases; meat production.  Adopting a Plant-based diet addresses one of the main causes of climate change. It is clear that to continue efforts to reduce climate change, an overall need to reduce global meat consumption is vital. According to research, beef is the leading greenhouse gas contributor out of all food production. It produces almost triple the amount of CO2 that the next contributor does, which is lamb. This study considers land usage, farming process, selling stage, and other factors that go into food production[21]. The reason cows produce so much CH4 and CO2 all comes down to the biology of the animal itself. Animals that contain four stomachs are termed “ruminants”. Ruminants contain bacteria which allows them to easily digest grass, (their main diet) and therefore result in a significant amount of CH4 and CO2 being produced[22]. Methane has a global warming potential (GWP) of about 34 and CO2 of 1 (because it is the base unit)[23]. So in terms of beef production, Methane is the main contributing factor to global warming. Due to this research it is easy to conclude that adopting a plant-based diet is overall better for the environment and is an easy life-style switch individuals can make if they are looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Limitations of a plant-based diet

A major concern regarding plant-based diets is protein intake. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are found in meat, dairy, and eggs[18], but are also found in many plant-based foods such as quinoa and soy, so it is important to follow a properly balanced diet that includes adequate amounts of protein to avoid protein deficiency[18]. Adequate intake of other nutrients such as Iron, Vitamin B12, Calcium, Vitamin D, and Fatty Acids are also a potential concern when following a plant-based diet, as they are primarily consumed through animal products[18]. Other limitations to plant-based eating are the barriers in which many individuals experience when attempting to convert to or maintain a plant-based diet. Such barriers include the reluctance to abandon meat products, time and inconvenience, taste of plant-based options, and availability of plant-based options[3]. Societal conceptions and familial influences are also barriers[3]. Due to the restrictive nature of plant-based diets (i.e. intentional exclusion of specific foods), there is the possibility for plant-based eating habits to lead to the development of eating disorders[3].

Conclusion

To conclude, plant based diets (typically referring to the exclusions of any and all animal-derived products[1]) are becoming more and more accessible as technology within synthetic meats advances and education around the environmental and health benefits becomes more publicized. Synthetic meats (referring to a meat substitute, a product with similar appearance, taste, texture and nutritional value to conventional meat [2]) began simply with soy products in the 1970's and has advanced further to an array of options that work towards building a healthier planet. Since the development of soy products we have also seen wheat and lab-grown products becomes more popularized. Wheat products can be seen as an alternative to soy, being primarily composed of seitan. Lab-grown products are an emerging field of research exploring culturing beef from myocyte cells. This method aims to tackle the main environmental harms that come from regular beef consumption. Along with emerging meat-substitutes, research on the health and environmental benefits has increased drastically since the 1970s. As our climate crisis becomes more and more prevalent, the switch to plant-based diets becomes more beneficial as it represent a drastic decrease in the output of harmful greenhouse gases such as Methane. In addition, future research on synthetic meats should focus on improving their taste and promoting plant-based diets, dispelling consumers' prejudices against lab-grown meats, so as to make them more acceptable to consumers[13].

References

Please use the Wikipedia reference style. Provide a citation for every sentence, statement, thought, or bit of data not your own, giving the author, year, AND page. For dictionary references for English-language terms, I strongly recommend you use the Oxford English Dictionary. You can reference foreign-language sources but please also provide translations into English in the reference list.

Note: Before writing your wiki article on the UBC Wiki, it may be helpful to review the tips in Wikipedia: Writing better articles.[24]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Freeman, Andrew (March 2017). "Trending Cardiovascular Nutrition Controversies". Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 69: 1172–1187 – via JACC.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Williams, Kim (July 2017). "Healthy Plant-Based Diet: What Does it Really Mean?". Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 70: 423–425 – via JACC.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Fehér, András (May 2020). "A Comprehensive Review of the Benefits of and the Barriers to the Switch to a Plant-Based Diet". Sustainability. 12(10): 4136 – via MDPI.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Fernandes, A. M., de Souza Teixeira, O., Palma Revillion, J. P., & de Souza, Â. R. L. (2020, June). Conceptual evolution and scientific approaches about synthetic meat. Journal of food science and technology. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7230089/
  5. ↑ Miller, W. M., & Morrow, C. T. (1975, December). Mechanical characterization of fibrous materials as related to meat ... Wiley Online Library. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-4603.1975.tb01422.x
  6. ↑ Mattick, C. S., Landis, A. E., Allenby, B. R., & Genovese, N. J. (2015, September 18). Anticipatory life cycle analysis of in vitro biomass cultivation for ... ACS publication. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.5b01614
  7. ↑ Post, M. J. (2012, April 11). Cultured meat from stem cells: Challenges and prospects. Meat Science. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174012001210
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Zhang, T., Dou, W., Zhang, X., Zhao, Y., Zhang, Y., Jiang, L., & Sui, X. (2021, January 30). The development history and recent updates on soy protein-based meat alternatives. Trends in Food Science & Technology. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224421000674
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Montgomery, Kristen S. (Summer 2003). "Soy Protein". The Journal of Perinatal Education. 129(3): 42–45 – via PubMed Central.
  10. ↑ Jira, W., & Münch, S. (2019). A sensitive HPLC-MS/MS screening method for the simultaneous detection of barley, maize, oats, rice, rye and wheat proteins in meat products. Food Chemistry, 275, 214–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.09.041
  11. ↑ Yusuf, E. H. (2023). Comparison of life cycle assessments and nutritional contents of soy protein and wheat protein (seitan) based Vegan Bacon products for human and environmental health. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 103(7), 3315–3321. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.12507
  12. ↑ Mouat, M. J., Prince, R., & Roche, M. M. (2018). Making value out of ethics: The Emerging Economic Geography of lab-grown meat and other animal-free food products. Economic Geography, 95(2), 136–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/00130095.2018.1508994
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 de Oliveira Padilha, L. G., Malek, L., & Umberger, W. J. (2022). Consumers’ attitudes towards lab-grown meat, conventionally raised meat and plant-based protein alternatives. Food Quality and Preference, 99, 104573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104573
  14. ↑ Van Loo, E. J., Caputo, V., & Lusk, J. L. (2020). Consumer preferences for farm-raised meat, lab-grown meat, and plant-based meat alternatives: Does information or brand matter? Food Policy, 95, 101931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101931
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Datar (2009). "Possibilities for an in vitro meat production system".
  16. ↑ Oxford (2019). "Is lab-grown meat really better for the environment?".
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Maningat, Clodualdo, C. (July 2021). "Textured wheat and pea proteins for meat alternative applications". Cereal Chemistry. 99 (1): 37–66.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Tuso, Phillip, J. (Spring 2013). "Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets". The Permanente Journal. 17(2): 61–66.
  19. ↑ Grant, John, D. (October 2017). "Time for change: Benefits of a plant-based diet" (PDF). Canadian Family Physician. 63: 744–746.
  20. ↑ Gerber, P.J. (2013). "Tackling climate change through livestock – A global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities" (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). line feed character in |title= at position 92 (help)
  21. ↑ Poore, J. (June 2018). [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaq0216 "Reducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers"] Check |url= value (help). Science. 360: 987–992.
  22. ↑ Godfray, HCJ. (July 20, 2018). [10.1126/science.aam5324 "Meat consumption, health, and the environment"] Check |url= value (help). Science. 361.
  23. ↑ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2016). "Climate change indicators in the United States" (PDF). EPA. 4.
  24. ↑ En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Writing better articles. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles [Accessed 18 Jan. 2018].


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