The meat alternative industry is booming. From a major spike
in Google
searches to more vegan restaurant
options than ever before, plant-based foods are taking over.
A new article in the Epoch Times highlights our evolving
food industry and the companies working to redefine it.
According to Lux Research, a strategic advisory firm for
emerging technologies, “by 2054, meat
alternatives will comprise 33 percent of the overall protein market.
Driving this change
is consumer awareness. Millennials, the largest generation in American history,
are greatly driven by environmental concerns. As animal agriculture is one of
the largest contributors to greenhouse gas
emissions, a dietary shift from
meat makes sense.
Beyond Meat, a
company that replicates the texture of animal muscle using plant proteins, is
one of many working to create plant-based products that are healthier for us
and friendlier for animals and the planet.
Kent Kirshenbaum, an
NYU chemistry professor and advisor to Beyond Meat, says that the company is “perhaps
at the pinnacle in taking a very high-tech approach, breaking down into the
constituents, and breaking down the eating experience at a molecular level.
With the help of
modern technology and innovation, today’s meat alternatives are strikingly
similar to their animal-based counterparts.
“Whatever choices we make, let’s think about the impact on
future generations, says Kirshenbaum.
For delicious recipes and tips on adopting a compassionate vegan
diet, click here.