In the years that vegetarianism has become more mainstream, the meat-free diet itself has transformed. Gone are the years of the stereotypical “hippie” vegetarian who survives on dry oats, tofu blocks and raw vegetables (though there’s certainly nothing wrong with that). Now, in every grocery store one can find a section of “fake” or imitation foods, usually soy-based, created to substitute for real meat, providing a much smoother transition to the lifestyle.
With the recent breakthrough in the fake meat industry—a more realistic fake chicken texture – scientist from the University of Missouri are opening the door to all kinds of implications within the food industry.
Inventors of this new “chicken,” a food that combines soy-protein powder, wheat flour and water in an industrial extruder, claim that it successfully imitates the stringy texture found in the real thing, and, believe it or not, tastes like chicken!
Until now, the main argument meat-eaters gave against eating fake meats was that it just wasn’t quite right. With the technology to perfectly duplicate meat, in taste and texture, without the torture of animals, they may no longer have an excuse.
However, the idea that “technology” is used to create food does not seem completely compatible with the diets of many current vegans and vegetarians. In addition to eating meat-free to be cruelty-free, many adopt the lifestyle for its health benefits. A factory-made, processed food is a far cry from fresh, organic and local eating that many vegetarians and vegans prefer.
It will be interesting to see how current meat-free eaters, and those contemplating a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, will respond to the new “chicken” discovery. It could be, that most already adapted to the diet, or those who do not enjoy the taste of meat or its substitutes, will prefer to do without. The main breakthrough, it seems, will be with the meat-eaters, who may be more accepting of a diet without meat if they have a sufficient alternative.
With this invention, the final question is: What’s next? Surely the Missouri scientists will strive to imitate other meats, but they may have some bigger tricks hidden up their lab coat sleeves. Some scientists predict even more innovations: a next step with real meat grown “in vitro.” This would provide meat from a petri dish rather than a slaughtered animal. For now, I’ll stick to my veggies and oats.
Doyle (4 comments)
Im with you veggies and oats. The thought of faux meats can get a little gross, I am guilty of eating some of them.
Doyle (4 comments)
I have to make another comment.. Just read the research on in-vitro meat. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.
AndyT (6 comments)
For me, the more it tastes like real chicken, the more it grosses me out. I can not eat it, even if I intellectually know that it is not dead chicken. I can just not stand the taste. However, I definitely welcome such products as they might act as substitutes for meat eaters, and I think that is what counts as much as real impact on the world and on animal suffering is concerned. Can’t wait for McD to substitute their Nuggets with something like this…same to the in-vitro-meat that was mentioned earlier.
Best regards,
Andy
Chia (328 comments)
The Gardein brand of faux chicken has a similar texture to real chicken. Just use some chicken dish seasoning or heavy BBQ sauce, and you can probably fool a good number of vegetarians into thinking that they’ve just bitten into real chicken!
mark m braunstein (1 comments)
Mock meat makes a mockery of vegetarianism. I would prefer to eat meat that tastes like soybeans, than soybeans that taste like meat. (Of course, I eat neither.)
cookies and cream (3 comments)
i hate meat anyway, and i wouldn’t eat it, if an animal was killed for it or not. plus, it’s very processed, i don’t want that in my body
!
jive (8 comments)
the next thing you know, there going to put fake blood into the fake meat, and then their going to cut the fake meat out of a fake animal… but if it keeps a real animal from being killed, then who am i to judge