Cultured & Alternative Foods News and Discussions

[raklian]

caltrek's comments: As more and more such studies come to this sort of conclusion, demand for protein rich rice and protein rich cultivated meat may evaporate. Hence, why continue to invest in their development?

There is always going to be demand for protein sources as they're an essential macronutrient...

Yes, but the point is that demand can and perhaps should be met by reliance on existing plant-based sources. Beans tend to be particularly high in protein, but other foods such as mushrooms, eggplant, avocados, etc. also contain protein.

The problem is we can't realistically dictate how people should pick their protein sources. I've had a fair share of people telling me off they will never give up on red meat no matter what. The cultured meat industry is counting on this.

[caltrek]

There is always going to be demand for protein sources as they're an essential macronutrient...

Yes, but the point is that demand can and perhaps should be met by reliance on existing plant-based sources. Beans tend to be particularly high in protein, but other foods such as mushrooms, eggplant, avocados, etc. also contain protein.

The problem is we can't realistically dictate how people should pick their protein sources. I've had a fair share of people telling me off they will never give up on red meat no matter what. The cultured meat industry is counting on this.

Framed in those terms, I think you make a very good point. I have even heard from doctors telling me that they don't intend to give up on red meat even as they agree, or make the point, that a plant-based diet is actually healthier. I suppose I should have made that observation earlier.

[Vakanai]

Yes, but the point is that demand can and perhaps should be met by reliance on existing plant-based sources. Beans tend to be particularly high in protein, but other foods such as mushrooms, eggplant, avocados, etc. also contain protein.

The problem is we can't realistically dictate how people should pick their protein sources. I've had a fair share of people telling me off they will never give up on red meat no matter what. The cultured meat industry is counting on this.

Framed in those terms, I think you make a very good point. I have even heard from doctors telling me that they don't intend to give up on red meat even as they agree, or make the point, that a plant-based diet is actually healthier. I suppose I should have made that observation earlier.

As someone who hates beans, prefers meat over vegetables, and especially loves beef above all, and know more people like me than not, I can definitely attest that hoping people will switch to more plant based proteins or diets isn't the smart bet.

[caltrek]

Researchers Find Common Plant Could Help Reduce Food Insecurity
February 23 , 2024

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — An often-overlooked water plant that can double its biomass in two days, capture nitrogen from the air — making it a valuable green fertilizer — and be fed to poultry and livestock could serve as life-saving food for humans in the event of a catastrophe or disaster, a new study led by Penn State researchers suggests.

Native to the eastern U.S., the plant, azolla caroliniana Willd — commonly known as Carolina azolla — also could ease food insecurity in the near future, according to findings recently published in Food Science & Nutrition. The researchers found that the Carolina strain of azolla is more digestible and nutritious for humans than azolla varieties that grow in the wild and also are cultivated in Asia and Africa for livestock feed.

The study, which was led by Daniel Winstead, a research assistant in the labs of Michael Jacobson, professor of ecosystem science and management, and Francesco Di Gioia, assistant professor of vegetable crop science, is part of a larger interdisciplinary research project called Food Resilience in the Face of Catastrophic Global Events conducted in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

“Other species of azolla have been used across the world for several thousand years as a livestock feed and as ‘green manure’ to fertilize crops because of the plant’s ability to fix nitrogen,” Jacobson said. “The use of azolla for human consumption was thought to be limited by its high total polyphenolic content, which interferes with its digestibility. But this research demonstrates that the phenolic content of the Carolina strain is much lower, and cooking the plant diminishes it further.”

Polyphenols, which are naturally abundant compounds found in plants, at lower concentrations are beneficial to human health because of their antioxidant activity, however, high concentrations of polyphenols can limit nutrient absorption in the body and act as antinutritional factors, Jacobson explained. Gallic acid is a stable phenol and has become a standard measurement to determine phenol content in food.

Read more of the Eurekalert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1035458

For results of the study as presented in Food Science & Nutrition: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fsn3.3904

[caltrek]

So, you like the taste of meat and don't like beans etc. This might be a good answer for you:

Scientists Use Blue-green Algae as a Surrogate Mother for "Meat-like" Proteins
February 27, 2024

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) We all know that we ought to eat less meat and cheese and dig into more plant-based foods. But whilst perusing the supermarket cold display and having to choose between animal-based foods and more climate-friendly alternative proteins, our voices of reason don’t always win. And even though flavour has been mastered in many plant-based products, textures with the 'right' mouthfeel have often been lacking.

Furthermore, some plant-based protein alternatives are not as sustainable anyway, due to the resources consumed by their processing.
But what if it was possible to make sustainable, protein-rich foods that also have the right texture? New research from the University of Copenhagen is fueling that vision. The key? Blue-green algae. Not the infamous type known for being a poisonous broth in the sea come summertime, but non-toxic ones.

"Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are living organisms that we have been able to get to produce a protein that they don’t naturally produce. The particularly exciting thing here is that the protein is formed in fibrous strands which somewhat resemble meat fibers. And, it might be possible to use these fibres in plant-based meat, cheese or some other new type of food for which we are after a particular texture," says Professor Poul Erik Jensen of the Department of Food Science.

In a new study, Jensen and fellow researchers from the University of Copenhagen, among other institutions, have shown that cyanobacteria can serve as host organisms for the new protein by inserting foreign genes into a cyanobacterium. Within the cyanobacterium, the protein organizes itself as tiny threads or nanofibers.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1035770

[caltrek]

Farmed Python Meat Could Be the Earth-Friendly Food of the Future
by Tom Hale
March 15, 2024

Introduction:

(IFL Science) As the world tries to wean itself off emission-belching agriculture, giant pythons could prove to be a more sustainable, slithering alternative to beef, pork, and chicken.

In a new study, a team of scientists argues that pythons could provide a “flexible and efficient” alternative to other conventional farmed livestock, since they are surprisingly sustainable while offering meat that’s high in protein, but low in saturated fats.

As for the taste, python meat is said to taste a lot like chicken – that’s what they always say, huh?

The researchers found that pythons are surprisingly well-suited to the demands of commercial farming. These giant beasts grow rapidly, reaching maturity within three years, plus they are highly fertile, capable of producing 100 eggs every year for two decades.

Python farming is a well-established practice in parts of Asia where species like reticulated pythons (Malayopython reticulatus) and Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) are routinely harvested for their meat.

Read more of the IFL Science article here: https://www.iflscience.com/farmed-pyth ... re-73414

For a presentation of study results as published in Scientific Reports : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54874-4

[weatheriscool]

Florida Is on Its Way to Banning -- and Criminalizing -- Alternative Meat

"We're not going to have fake meat. Like that doesn't work," Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

By Stacey Leasca Updated on March 15, 2024

Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to keep lab-grown meat out of Florida.

Over the last several months, Florida legislators have been quietly working to ban — and criminalize — the production and sale of cell-cultivated meat across the state, via the introduction of two bills, HB 1071 and SB 1084. On February 6, the state's House of Representatives passed SB 1084, which now sits on DeSantis' desk awaiting a signature. And if his previous comments are any indication, he will be pulling out his pen soon.

"I know the Legislature is doing a bill to try to protect our meat," DeSantis said in February while visiting the South Florida State College Hardee Campus, according to CBS. "You need meat, OK. And we're going to have meat in Florida." DeSantis added, "We're not going to have fake meat. Like that doesn't work."

Cell-cultivated meat, to be clear, differs from traditional veggie burgers and meat alternatives like Impossible Burgers. As the Congressional Research Service (CRS) defines,

What Longtime Vegetarians Think About the Plant-Based Meat Boom
Cell-cultivated meat "is developed in a lab, grown from a sample of animal cells that does not require the slaughter of animals." In other words, it's actually meat. The development of cell-cultivated meat, the CRS explained, happens in five steps: the biopsy of animal cells, cell banking, cell growth, harvesting, and food processing. It's an industry that has heavy oversight in the U.S. by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

More:
https://www.foodandwine.com/florida-lab ... on-8609560

[wjfox]

Republicans are on a quest to ban lab-grown meat

Apr 1, 2024, 8:27pm

Republican-led U.S. states are looking to ban lab-grown chicken, pork and other proteins cultivated from animal cells, branding it part of a woke agenda that threatens traditional farming.

Lawmakers in states including Alabama, Arizona, Florida and Tennessee have moved to target cell-cultivated meat products — even though they are still barely on the market in the United States.

Cultivated chicken last year became the first such product to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, with a multiyear review concluding that lab-grown meat made by two companies was safe for sale, but it is still only available at a handful of restaurants.

Those that attempt to sell lab-grown meat in Alabama or Arizona could soon face jail time or hefty fines as Republicans attempt to block what some have called a “war on our ranching.” More than a dozen states have regulated the use of the word “meat” on the products.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said that lab-grown meat is part of a “whole ideological agenda,” that blames agriculture workers for global warming, saying: “We’re not going to do that fake meat. That doesn’t work.”

https://www.semafor.com/article/04/01/2 ... grown-meat

[Time_Traveller]

Most plant-based meat and dairy alternatives have lower saturated fat and higher fibre, study finds

Thursday 25 April 2024 02:48, UK



Most plant-based meat and dairy alternatives have lower levels of saturated fat and higher fibre than their animal-derived counterparts, researchers have found.

They also have substantially lower environmental impacts, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, use of water resources and land use, according to a review of evidence on plant-based alternatives to meat, cheese, eggs and yoghurt.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) who analysed over 90 studies and reports from 2016 to 2022 suggested plant-based alternatives could be a "useful steppingstone" towards a healthy and sustainable diet, though they warned nutritional value can vary considerably between products.

Plant-based alternatives "have the potential to be healthier and nutrient-rich," they said, but added that their nutritional contents are complex.

The primary ingredient, as well as processing techniques and brand, were all vital in determining a product's nutritional value and environmental impact.

https://news.sky.com/story/most-plant-b ... s-13122103

[weatheriscool]

[caltrek]

The Inside Scoop on How America Became Obsessed With Protein
by Elana Spivack
May 1, 2024

Introduction:

(Inverse) America can’t get enough protein. From whey smoothies to protein-packed pancakes, pasta, and ice cream, the muscle-building macronutrient has become the guaranteed solution to all health ills.

“It’s this catchall,” Hannah Cutting-Jones, a food historian and director of food studies at the University of Oregon, tells Inverse. Want to gain muscle? Eat more protein. Lose weight? Focus on protein. Everybody, from your dog to your grandparents, needs more protein. But do they, really?

In the last several decades, we have, on average, consistently eaten more of this macronutrient than the daily recommended amounts set by health organizations. This is despite the fact that these groups have continued to decrease the recommended amount of protein we need per day. To complicate matters, we still haven’t settled on the ideal amount of protein necessary for a healthy diet. All of this combined has left protein — the one macronutrient yet to be demonized by the diet industry — in a scientific and cultural gray area. And it begs the question: How much protein do we actually need?

Read more here: https://www.inverse.com/health/how-ame ... -protein

[wjfox]

Alabama bans lab-grown meat, joining Florida among US states outlawing alternative proteins

Alabama became the second U.S. state to ban lab-grown meat, joining Florida which earlier this month outlawed the alternative protein.

Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Bill, which the prohibits "the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells," into law on May 7. The legislation was sponsored by Republicans Sen. Jack Williams and Rep. Danny Crawford.

Supporters for the bill argue that it protects cattle ranchers and farmers from lab-grown meat competitors and the measures also address the notion that a cabal of global "elites" are promoting unnatural food.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nati ... 678952007/

[Time_Traveller]

Alabama bans lab-grown meat, joining Florida among US states outlawing alternative proteins

Alabama became the second U.S. state to ban lab-grown meat, joining Florida which earlier this month outlawed the alternative protein.

Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Bill, which the prohibits "the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells," into law on May 7. The legislation was sponsored by Republicans Sen. Jack Williams and Rep. Danny Crawford.

Supporters for the bill argue that it protects cattle ranchers and farmers from lab-grown meat competitors and the measures also address the notion that a cabal of global "elites" are promoting unnatural food.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nati ... 678952007/

There must be something more than banning lab-grown meats to protect cattle ranchers and farmers in these two states. Also, I would like to see which states will not ban them as well.

[wjfox]

Animals slaughtered to meet global demands (2024)

https://incendar.com/deathclock-animal- ... mption.php

(real-time)

[raklian]

Eat Just Debuts Cultivated Meat in Retail at Singapore’s Huber’s Butchery

Californian cultivated meat pioneer Eat Just has hit a major milestone in the sector, debuting Good Meat chicken in the freezers of Huber’s Butchery in Singapore – the first time these proteins are available in retail.

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/eat-just- ... singapore/

You can now cook cultivated chicken at home, thanks to Eat Just’s landmark move into the freezers of Huber’s Butchery in Singapore, making it the first cultivated meat product to be sold for retail anywhere in the world.

As the first company to ever receive regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat, the Good Meat chicken has been available at various foodservice points in the island nation since 2020. But moving into retail is a major breakthrough for an industry that has so far struggled to manufacture enough product and keep costs down for such a rollout.

[wjfox]

Cultivated-meat proponents should support Kamala Harris

Jon Hochschartner
Jul 27, 2024

https://slaughterfreeamerica.substack.c ... nts-should

[wjfox]

How a livestock industry lobbying campaign is turning Europe against lab-grown meat

30.07.2024

This month the UK became the first country in Europe to approve the sale of meat grown in a laboratory, giving the green light to a pet food made of cell-cultivated chicken.

Lab-grown meat is presented as a potential solution to the environmental impacts of livestock farming. Cultivated meat products are showing up on shelves and in restaurants in a small but growing number of countries: Singapore, Israel, the US, and now Britain.

Last week French start-up Gourmey filed the industry’s first application for market access in the EU. It wants to sell cell-based foie gras, the traditional dish that has faced criticism over animal welfare concerns.

But in Europe it faces an increasingly hostile political climate, with lab-grown meat encountering stiff resistance from a coalition of countries fighting for fresh restrictions at an EU-level and introducing bans within their own borders.

The backlash is being driven by an influential lobbying campaign fronted by a former beef industry executive and funded by livestock interests, a joint investigation by Unearthed and Dutch website Follow The Money has found.

https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2024/0 ... rown-meat/

[Time_Traveller]

Are alternative proteins going mainstream? This multimillion pound new project hopes so

Wednesday 28 August 2024 07:12, UK



If I eat a burger partly made from crushed insects, will I notice the difference? Does it matter if my veggie sausage has been ultra-processed? Why will some people eat a prawn but not a cricket? Is lab-grown meat as nutritious as the real thing - and is it safe?

Such questions about new "alternative proteins" will be answered, it is hoped, by a new multimillion pound venture to try to get more insects, fungi, and cultivated (sometimes called "lab-grown") meat onto our plates.

The global population is growing dramatically, and so is its appetite for animal protein like cheese, ham and burgers.

But animals raised for food can be terrible for the planet - destroying rainforests, adding to climate change and guzzling water - as well as for animal welfare and for our health in terms of fat and processing.

Keeping everyone nourished without eating up more land that's needed to slow climate change and protects ecosystems is a dilemma that has fuelled the growth of the "alternative protein" sector.

https://news.sky.com/story/are-alternat ... o-13204117

[Powers]

cricket
insects

Eww.

[Time_Traveller]

Lab-grown food may be a step closer to being approved in UK as watchdog to research its safety

Tuesday 8 October 2024 04:41, UK



Lab-grown meat and vegetable products may be getting closer to approval for consumption in the UK as the food safety watchdog will be researching them to ensure they are safe.

Cell-cultivated products (CCPs) are a new type of food made without using traditional farming methods such as rearing livestock or growing plants and grains.

Their attraction for both consumers and investors lies in their apparent sustainability as they don't need huge amounts of land, while the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from livestock are also slashed.

With the use of science and technology, cells from plants or animals are grown in a controlled environment to make the new product.

There are currently no CCPs approved for human consumption in the UK.

https://news.sky.com/story/lab-grown-fo ... y-13230075