For several years now, scientists around the world have been developing in the field of creating artificial meat. Moreover, the creation of such a product is extremely important for many reasons. And this is not at all a matter of pressure from convinced vegetarians. However, until recently, it was much more expensive to produce a conventional kilogram of artificial meat than a kilogram of the present. But it seems that very soon natural meat may disappear from the shelves, because technology does not stand still and vegetable meat will soon become cheaper than usual.
Why is natural meat bad?
Even aside from the ethical side of the issue, meat production causes irreparable harm to the environment. For example, according to the editors of ZME Science, raising livestock uses several times more water than growing an equivalent amount of edible plants from which artificial meat could be made. In addition, much more waste from meat factories is obtained than from similar agricultural industries.
But even with all the environmental and ethical benefits, natural meat outperforms artificial meat in two important ways: taste and price. But this, apparently, will not last long.
Why is artificial meat more expensive?
This is a very logical question, because plants do not need the same careful care as animals. In general, growing crops requires less time and money, but meat based on plant components is more expensive. Why?
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However, large manufacturers of artificial meat like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are already significantly expanding their staff and reducing the cost of production technology, which should lead to a drop in prices for their products by the first quarter of 2020.
What artificial meat tastes like
As for the question of taste, everything is already quite good here. If a few years ago, burgers with cutlets based on soybeans and chickpeas were not liked by consumers because of the “vegetable flavor”, today, thanks to the technologies of the food industry, artificial meat, if not superior to natural meat in its taste, is certainly not inferior to it.
And these are not empty words. Just a couple of months ago, the author of these lines, while in New York, tried an Impossible Burger cheeseburger in one of the local restaurants. The menu stated that the cutlet does not contain meat, but it will taste the same as a natural beef cutlet. And you know what, the inscription didn't lie. I’m not a food critic or foodie, but if I hadn’t been told that the meat in the burger is made from soy, I wouldn’t have guessed it.
Therefore, if you are worried that "fake meat" will not taste good, you can forget about it. And since this market is developing rapidly, and the same Impossible Burger is already expanding outside the United States, almost anyone will be able to personally taste the "meatless hamburger" in the near future.
Vladimir Kuznetsov