Are we ready for meat alternatives? Literature review

What we researched:

• The researchers conducted a review of scientific literature concerning the production and potential dystribution of food alternatives for meat. The review is not exhaustive, but rather, it is more illustrative of what is presently known.

How we did it:

• The researchers focused on articles concerning two meat alternatives, namely plant-base meat alternatives (PBMA) and meat grown in laboratory settings (CM, cultured meat).
• They reviewed articles pertaining to the effects on the environment and people’s health of transitioning to meat substitutes; global trends in consumption of meat and plant-based meat alternatives; the perception of meat by consumers; relationships between attitudes about meat substitutes and attitudes about traditional meat; and the cost of production of each of the foods.

What we discovered:

• Replacing meat with meat alternatives may decrease degradation of the environment, have a positive impact on human health and erase ethical dilemmas concerning eating animal meat.
• One of the most important limitations of the available research is that meat substitutes are still relatively unknown and/or unavailable, particularly for CM. In contrast, numerous PBMA exist, and some PBMA are established products that are available in many, albeit not all, markets. Therefore, consumers’ reactions can reflect direct experience with PBMA.
• Much of the research and thinking about the necessity of transitioning from traditional meat to manufactured meat substitutes is predicated on the assumption that the demand for protein will not decline. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that if the demand for protein was to decrease (in many countries, average consumption levels are above what is needed for good health), there may not be a need to transition to meat substitutes on a mass scale.

Why is it important:

• Because reducing or eliminating meat from human diet may have positive impact on the environment and people’s health, and help alleviate ethical concerns related to meat consumption.