The Innovation of Plant-Based Meats Essay Example

Plant-based meats prove to be a sustainable ecological solution for global warming as it decreases the amount of greenhouse gases we release into our atmosphere and provides consumers with countless health benefits. The incorporation of plant-based meats into your diet will lessen your chances of heart disease and type two diabetes as they contain a great source of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. These plant-based meats also taste, feel and appear similar to your everyday man-slaughtered meats, meaning you may not even realise the difference! “When people choose plant-based products, the savings in water consumption, land-use and greenhouse gas emission is well over 90 percent. Plant-based meats are ten times more eco-efficient than man-slaughtered meats” said David Yueng, the co-founder of vegetarian enterprise Green Monday (a plant-based meat brand).

The top ten leading companies in the plant-based meat industry include Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Amy’s Kitchen, Kellogg, Maple Leaf Foods, Quorn Foods, Pinnacle Foods, Sunfed, Tyson and Unilever. The founders and CEOs of these companies: Andy Berliner, Rachel Berliner, Ethan Brown, Patrick O. Brown, Steve Cahillane, Michael McCain, Mark Clouse, Marco Bertacca, Shama Sukul Lee, Donnie D. King and Alan Jope all play a part in developing the appearance, texture and flavour of plant-based meats, working on imitating ordinary meats.  

Is switching to a plant-based diet beneficial? And how? Switching to a plant-based diet has many benefits, including stopping the rapid depletion of Earth's resources, slowing the threat of climate change, and helping protect our planet for generations to come. Although these are just some of the countless benefits of plant-based meats, let me introduce you to the pros and cons of a plant-based diet. The main disadvantages plant-based meats face are high sodium levels, a lower nutritional value and consist of highly processed ingredients/additives. High sodium levels in foods are potentially very harmful to consumers with diabetes or hypertension as the increase in blood pressure increases the chances of a heart attack. plant-based meats may not be as effective nutrition-wise, as they are deficient in protein and omega 3 fatty acids abundant in animal-based meats. Lastly, plant-based meats are highly processed and consist of many additives such as artificial texture, flavours and colours. Despite these reasons, you can avoid these issues by being mindful of The nutritional value, ingredients used and any additives on the food label. On to the advantages! Some of the positive impacts plant-based foods have are, being heart healthy, weight friendly and sustainable. Plant-based meats are low in calories and fat but high in fibre, making them an excellent repellent for cardiovascular disease as well as aiding in healthy weight loss management. The carbon footprint left by plant-based meats is significantly less than animal-based meats, benefiting the environment. The percentage of plant-based meats in the meat market is growing rapidly and was recorded to make up 18% of the meat market in 2020. In the US, almost 23 million households purchased plant-based meats, making over 1.4 billion dollars in 2020.