In the global culinary landscape, a debate has been fuelling for a long time now between traditional meat and its innovative counterpart, mock meat. Traditional meat, which happens to be a common preference among masses from around the world, accounts for about 95% of the world’s protein consumption. However, mock meat, crafted from plant-based sources like pea protein or mycoprotein, has only recently gained momentum, with a 45% increase in sales in the last two to three years alone.
Brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are pioneers behind this shift, offering a wide range of ready-to-cook dishes, right from burgers to sausages, which resemble meat in terms of taste and texture.
As sustainability has become of paramount importance and dietary preferences have evolved, the clash between tradition and innovation continues. However, from the environmental point of view, mock meat comes out a clear winner. Owing to the same, we at the Tribhuvan College of Environment and Development Sciences, a renowned environmental science college in Delhi NCR, have decided to educate our readers on this subject. So, let’s quickly delve in.
Sourcing of Traditional and Mock Meat:
Sourcing is one of the major differentiators between traditional and mock meat. As for traditional meat, it is sourced from animals, having been a staple in most global diets. In terms of its nutrition profile, traditional meat comes complete with essential nutrients like protein, iron, and B vitamins.
However, sourcing of traditional meat gives rise to a string of environmental issues such as deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and water depletion. This is one of the leading reasons behind people reconsidering their dietary choices.
Mock meat, on the other hand, is a sustainable meat option derived from plant-based or lab-cultured sources. The plus point with this meat is that it does not harm the environment in any way while standing out as a cruelty-free solution. Even though mock meat matches up to the taste and texture of traditional meat, its mainstream adoption isn’t in full swing as yet.
Benefits of Mock Meat > Traditional Meat:
We at the Tribhuvan College of Environment and Development Sciences would now like to showcase some of the prime benefits of mock meat over traditional meat, which will provide you with a clear differentiation between the two.
- One of the first advantages that makes mock meat shine over traditional meat is the very fact that the former is not heavily dependent on natural resources like land and water for its production. Moreover, in terms of the environmental footprint, mock meat wins over traditional meat. Hence, it is safe to conclude that mock meat makes for a sustainable food system.
- In times when the entire economy is heading towards the health and fitness age, making appropriate and healthy food choices becomes important. Here again, mock meat comes to the consumer’s rescue as it is lower in saturated fats and cholesterol compared to traditional meats. Moreover, mock meat in today’s times has become popular as a heart-friendly food alternative. Since mock meat is plant-based with an option to modify the core ingredient, it becomes possible to add specific nutrients and eliminate allergens from this form of meat. A benefit that isn’t available in the case of traditional meat.
- Traditional meat production is directly dependent on animals. In other words, animal slaughtering is the first step in the process of traditional meat manufacturing. As we all know, animal slaughtering is dangerous for the environment due to the greenhouse emissions this process lets out in the air. Not to forget the act of cruelty against animals. This is another hurdle, which gets eliminated in the case of mock meat as this meat is all for fighting animal suffering while taking care of the environment.
- Having said that, we at the Tribhuvan College of Environment and Development Sciences have observed that one of the reasons why people are skeptical about trying mock meat is because they assume this form of meat is low on protein. However, this is far from true. What makes us say so is the very fact that plant-based inputs in the case of mock meat can be altered to our convenience, which also means mock meat can be given a diverse nutritional profile by adding minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients to this meat.
- Speaking about the advantages of mock meat, we at the Tribhuvan College of Environment and Development Sciences, one of the most renowned environmental science colleges in Delhi NCR, can seldom overlook its contribution to the area of food security. In times when the global population is rising at an alarming rate with the ever-growing stress on available food resources, mock meat comes out as an absolute savior by meeting the global protein demand and addressing the bigger food security concern.
Conclusion
As you must have come to understand by now, mock meat is the clear winner if you compare it with traditional meat. Not only is it environmentally friendly but is also better owing to a lot of other aspects.
Moreover, if you have heard the term vegan and gotten to know better about the veganism lifestyle, you know how such individuals consume way beyond than just mock meat, particularly all plant-based products, for health, environmental, and ethical reasons. So, are you ready to give mock meat a shot?