What is ‘meat’ from plants, and is ‘just like’ meat vegetarian?

Source: The post is based on the article “What is ‘meat’ from plants, and is ‘just like’ meat vegetarian?″ published in Indian Express on 17th October 2022.

What is the News?

Recently, cricketer M S Dhoni picked up an undisclosed equity stake in plant-based meat startup Shaka Harry. A couple also founded plant-based Imagine Meats in September 2021.

What is Plant based meat?

“Plant-based” refers to products that bio-mimic or replicate meat, seafood, eggs, and milk derived from animals — by looking, smelling, and tasting like them.

How are Plant-based meat and dairy made?

Animal meat contains protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water, just like plants. This biochemical similarity allows for finding analogues in the plant kingdom or making them through mechanical, chemical, or biological treatment of such ingredients.

The challenge lies in replicating muscle tissue that plants don’t have. The unique spatial arrangement of proteins in these tissues is what creates the distinct texture of animal meat.

As for plant-based dairy, the main products are milk from oats, almond, soyabean, coconut and rice.

How big are the plant-based meat and milk industry?

According to the Good Foods Institute in Washington DC, retail sales of plant-based animal product alternatives in the US stood at $7.4 billion in 2021. 

In India, there is not much of a big market at least in dairy. Most Indians take naturally milk which is a classic “superior food”.