There are many known problems with meat, and most of its problems come from its harmful production. To raise cattle, a vast amount of land has to be cleared, which destroys ecosystems and habitats. Also, the untreated manure of the livestock containing antibiotics that is oftentimes released into nature carelessly may cause antibiotics to spread, which causes many harmful effects which I have described in detail in a previous report. Furthermore, the livestock release gaseous wastes which increase the amount of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to the warning of our planet, in the atmosphere.

The meat industry is obviously flawed, and people have thus advocated against the consumption of meat. However, there now seems to be a way to enjoy the meat we love while avoiding the harmful effects of its production: plant-based meat.

Plant-based meat is exactly what it sounds like. It is made with ingredients from plants, and does not contain any actual meat. However, the most amazing part is that it tastes almost exactly like actual meat while having lower amounts of saturated fats and calories; it even looks like actual meat, and many may not even notice its meat-lacking nature even after consuming it. 

To taste, look, and feel like real meat, food engineers have meticulously come to a solution with specific amounts of several ingredients. For instance, most plant-based meat contains coconut oil, as it provides a texture similar to actual meat; with ingredients like these, food engineers were able to replicate a bite similar to the feeling of biting actual meat. Plant-based meat often contains myoglobin, to mimic the red color of meat. With the combination of specific ingredients like these, food engineers were able to come to a solution to successfully assimilate plant-based meat into the menu of many fast-food companies.

Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, Burger King, and Lotteria are all examples of companies that have incorporated plant-based meat. Thanks to the efforts of companies like these, plant-based meat has become significantly more attainable; now, it is as simple as walking to your local Burger King and purchasing their plant-based burger. Oftentimes, the price of these burgers may be more costly than the version without plant-based meat. Furthermore, plant-based meat technology isn’t perfect, so your burger won’t taste exactly like the burger you may expect when you first bite into it. Nevertheless, replacing the meat in our diet with plant-based meat when possible may be one of the best options to not only avoid the negative health effects of meat, but also to control the meat industry in order to save our planet. 

Sources:

1. https://www.cleanwateraction.org/features/meat-industry-%E2%80%93-environmental-issues-solutions

2. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/03/dining/plant-based-meat-science.html

3. https://www.insider.com/plant-based-meat