Plant based
diets are not a new, fading trend
https://agnvegglobal.blogspot.com/2023/02/human-carnism-debunked.html
They are
the ORIGINAL TRADITIONAL foods specifically created for humans and countless
other species.
From Past to Present: The History of Plant-based
Meats and their Current Trends in Asia
Plant-based meat is actually centuries old!
Plant-based meat alternatives have been a hot
topic for the last few years and are still associated with novelty. But did you
know that the first record of a plant-based meat alternative was over 2000
years ago? Plant-based meat has a long and rich history in Asia and has been
ingrained in various Eastern cultures since it was first consumed in ancient
China.
One of the reasons plant-based meat alternatives
were widely consumed in China was due to Buddhism. Buddhism prohibits the killing
of any person or animal, leading Buddhists to adopt vegetarian diets. As part
of their tradition, Buddhists incorporated “First-generation” plant-based meat
alternatives – tofu, tempeh, and seitan – into their vegetarian diet.
Tofu – the first reported plant-based product
While it is difficult to pinpoint when the first
plant-based product was made, tofu (coagulated soy milk) was the first reported
product and was created in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) over 20
centuries ago. Tofu was extensively consumed throughout various ancient Chinese
Dynasties (Tang, Song etc.). Tempeh (fermented soybean), a traditional
Indonesian staple, has been consumed in Southeast Asia for the past four to
five centuries or longer!
Emergence of “Second-Generation” Plant-based Meat
Products
In the 1300s, innovation in plant-based meat
alternatives that were not merely traditional tofu or tempeh began to appear.
Products like mock eel meat and mock sausage were developed in China. These are
coined “Second-generation” plant-based meat alternatives. By the 1800s, such
products were widespread in various Asian countries like Japan, Indonesia, and
China.
Figure 2: “2nd-generation” traditional
plant-based meat alternatives commonly eaten in Asian (From Top to Bottom, Left
to Right: Mock Char Siew, Mock Bakkwa, Mock Duck, Mock Tempura Prawn, Mock Fish
Slices and Mock Mutton). Pictures belong to Sensory & Ingestive Behaviour
Team, Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute of Food and
Biotechnology Innovation, A*STAR Singapore.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_alternative
Meat alternatives were also popular in Medieval
Europe during Lent, which prohibited the consumption of warm-blooded animals,
eggs, and dairy products. Chopped almonds and grapes were used as a substitute
for mincemeat. Diced bread was made into imitation cracklings and greaves.
https://leverfoundation.org/beyond-the-trend-the-history-of-plant-based-meat/
The idea of using plants to mimic the taste and
texture of meat was first recorded in ancient China, where Buddhist monks
created vegetarian dishes that resembled meat. To date, the majority of
Buddhist monks follow the principles of ‘ahimsa’ (nonviolence), thus avoiding
eating animal meat. China is also the birthplace of tofu – invented by the Han
dynasty (206 BC–220 CE).
During the Medieval period in Europe, people
turned to meat alternatives during Lent, a period that forbade the consumption
of warm-blooded animals, eggs, and dairy products. To replace the taste and
texture of meat, they often used a mix of chopped almonds and grapes as a
substitute for mincemeat.
Fast forward to 1877, when the Kellogg brothers
invented a plant-based meat product called “Protose.” This meat substitute was
made from peanuts, wheat gluten, and a variety of other plant-based
ingredients. While not comparable to today’s meatless products, it certainly
laid the groundwork for future plant-based meat and was met with curiosity by
all palates.
From the early 2000s, a slew of meatless meat
companies emerged worldwide, including big names like Quorn, Gardein,
Impossible Foods, and Beyond Meat. Even major meat producers like Tyson and
Cargill jumped on board, developing their own plant-based meat lines. While
there have been setbacks along the way, the growth of plant-based meat shows no
signs of slowing down. The global market was valued at $5.3 billion in 2021 and
is projected to reach a whopping $33.3 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of
20.5% from 2022 to 2031. In Asia alone, the intellectual property for
plant-based meat has grown more than three times over the last decade, jumping
from 2,388 in 2012 to 7,126 in 2022 – meaning that a growing number of
companies are developing new products to meet the rising demand.
As consumers become increasingly conscious of the
impact their dietary choices have on the planet and their health, plant-based
protein sources are becoming more popular than ever before. This trend is
likely to continue, leading to an even greater variety of options on supermarket shelves. As the demand
for sustainable and humane protein sources grows, it’s clear that plant-based
meat is a long-term solution for some of the most pressing issues affecting
protein production.
This work happened because of the support of
people like you. Please consider donating today to build a more humane and
sustainable protein supply in Asia.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/16/us/plant-based-meat-has-roots-in-the-1970s.html
Jaime Athos, the chief executive of Tofurky, a
company whose products are rooted in soy protein, pointed to sales figures from
the last two years, when real-animal meat sales were flat while sales of meat
alternatives grew by about 37 or 38 percent. “So that’s how a revolution
happens, that kind of growth rate,” he said.
The New Makers of Plant-Based Meat? Big Meat
Companies
Tyson, Smithfield, Perdue and Hormel have all
rolled out meat alternatives, filling supermarket shelves with an array of
plant-based burgers, meatballs and chicken nuggets.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833522000211
In Brazil, the hippie movement disseminated
vegetarianism and a natural lifestyle. Food practices promoted by them included
vegetarian meat substitutes such as burgers and patties made with lentils,
beans, mushrooms, and fresh ingredients
Lifschitz, 1997
These early products, made by whole ingredients,
can be called traditional meat substitutes
The evolution of a plant-based alternative to
meat: From niche markets to widely accepted meat alternatives
Plant-based alternatives to meat are a growing
market segment. The European LikeMeat project investigated consumers'
motivation for shifting their diets towards meat alternatives and developed a
meat alternative product that resembles the fibrous structure, bite and juicy
mouth-feel of meat. In a high moisture cooking extrusion process, plant
proteins are converted to a base product that has a meat-like structure.
Various protein sources and their combinations with further food ingredients
were tested to develop this base product, including the creation of flavour
components and the addition of aroma ingredients and spices. Furthermore, focus
was put on the microbiota. Microbiota were analysed in raw materials as were
their inactivation rates during the cooking extrusion process and their
potential growth in the refined and packed food product. The LikeMeat base
product serves as the base for a wide range of food preparations.
https://www.freedomgpt.com/wiki/meat-alternatives
In the 19th century, vegetarianism became popular
among Europeans who were concerned about animal welfare and environmental
sustainability. This led to the creation of meat substitutes such as vegetable
burgers and sausages.
TODAY
https://gfieurope.org/plant-based-meat/
Demand for plant-based foods is soaring across
Europe, and top supermarkets, restaurants and food producers are investing in
expanding their offerings in response.
Retail sales of plant-based foods across Europe
reached €5.8 billion in 2022 – 6% higher than 2021, and 21% higher than 2020.
Germany leads the market, with sales totalling €1.9
billion in 2022. The UK is in second place at €964 million.
Plant-based meat sales alone accounted for €2
billion in 2022 – up 19% compared with 2020.
https://agnvegglobal.blogspot.com/2021/04/ancient-veganism.html
