
The era of vegan meats
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Vegan meats: What are they? What are they made of? And, above all, do they provide the food they are intended to replace?
People of all ages, inspired by health, ethics and environmental issues, are increasingly incorporating plant-based products into their lifestyles and diets. From the use of personal hygiene and cleaning products to replacing different types of meat with plant-based versions, which has triggered the boom in vegan meats.
Gone are the days of lentil burgers and soy sausages that required very good seasoning and accompaniments to turn them into even halfway appetizing meals.
There are now many new alternatives to cheese, milk, butter and eggs that have equaled or even surpassed their animal tissue-based counterparts. Modern technology has focused its attention on products that can reduce environmental damage resulting from the breeding, slaughter and entire production process of these foods, especially meat and, above all, beef.
In supermarkets we are starting to find various alternatives to meat such as plant-based burgers, sausages, ground beef and pieces of meat in the pulled style or in pieces like chicken. More and more restaurants are adding plant-based burgers and other meat substitutes to their menus.
Clearly, these creations are a step on the path to raising awareness at the environmental and animal ethics level. The question would ultimately be to determine whether these new alternatives are healthy or are laboratory products that fill us with chemicals devoid of the nutrients necessary to maintain our health. You will soon find the different options that are beginning to be proposed as meat substitutes that are already on sale in the market.
The hit of hamburgers and meat substitutes
Img: GroovelandDesigns
The Beyond Meat burger has spread across North and South America, as well as Europe. It actually smells, tastes and cooks like real meat. But Beyond Meat isn't the only one. Several companies have seen the growing demand for these products and are launching into them in a big way. It looks like McDonald's is going to start including it on its menu, while Burger King is releasing its own version of meatballs.
The rise in popularity of these products is due in part to growing awareness of the impact that normal meat production has on the environment, whereas previously animal cruelty was the basis for becoming vegan or vegetarian. At the same time, studies have emerged highlighting the nutritional effects of a predominantly plant-based diet compared to a predominantly carnivorous diet. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that red meat and red meat are carcinogenic .
The pros and cons of meat substitutes
Looking at what these burgers contain, they seem to have good quality ingredients. These companies use plant-based proteins from peas, beans, lentils, soy or gluten instead of animal tissue. Although some of these products may have complications, they have no particular effects on health, the environment, ethics or respect for animal life. These vegan burgers also contain fiber, although in small amounts (2-3 grams per burger) which, although not much, does contain more than animal meat.
According to an article in the online magazine Food Revolution Network , many vegan burgers on the market contain questionable ingredients. First, they are highly processed foods with high sodium content that can cause problems for people with hypertension. In addition, many brands use refined oils, saturated fats, “natural” flavors (without knowing what the actual ingredient is), sugar, genetically modified ingredients, and other unhealthy additives. Other brands contain allergens such as soy, wheat, nuts, as well as dairy protein (if they are vegetarian).
To be more specific, the veggie burgers we find today fall into 4 main categories, each with its pros and cons, according to the article mentioned above.
- Pea protein-based burgers.
PROS : Most pea protein-based burgers are non-GMO (genetically modified organisms). Peas provide many health benefits. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the benefits are derived primarily from the concentration and properties of starch, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals present in peas. Fiber from the seed coat and cotyledon cell walls contributes to gastrointestinal function and health, and reduces the digestibility of pea starch.
The vitamin and mineral content of peas may play an important role in preventing deficiency-related diseases, particularly those related to selenium or folate deficiencies. Peas contain a variety of phytochemicals that were previously considered only antinutritional factors. These include polyphenols, especially in the colored seed coat types, which may have antioxidant and anticancer activity; saponins, which may have hypocholesterolemic and anticancer activity; and galactose oligosaccharides, which may exert beneficial prebiotic effects in the large intestine. ( 1 )
CONS : The isolated pea protein extracted in these factories, however, loses much of the original content present in its natural form. Burgers based on isolated pea protein often contain other ingredients that some do not consider as healthy, such as canola oil and refined coconut oil.
- Soy protein based
PROS: Burgers prepared with soy protein contain a sufficient amount of iron.
CONS: Because most soy grown today is genetically modified, these burgers are almost certain to contain GMOs unless the label specifies that they are made with organic soy.
Soy protein isolate is made by isolating the protein from soybeans, meaning all other nutrients are chemically removed. The chemical process used to convert soybeans into soy protein isolate can create unhealthy byproducts such as aluminum, hexane, and possibly nitrites. The resulting ingredient is no longer soy.
They contain high concentrations of glyphosate (yes, the same one they use to spray coca plantations in some countries). Soy burgers often use refined oils such as sunflower, corn, canola and coconut which are not recommended as a refined oil has gone through extreme heat and bleaching processes, and some companies use solvents such as hexane to separate the oil (in the case of coconut).
In burgers made from soy protein there are also additives such as “natural flavors” which, as stated above, we do not really know what that ingredient is. ( 2 )
If you're looking for a healthy eating option, you should try to avoid soy protein isolate and concentrate. If you want to eat soy, the only types that have adequate health benefits are miso, edamame, and tempeh. (Sorry, but even tofu is processed and should be minimized unless it specifies that it is organic and, better yet, lacto-fermented.)
- Wheat gluten based
PROS: Some brands do not use GMOs (genetically modified organisms) but it is important to check the ingredients if they do.
CONS: As these burgers contain gluten, people with intolerances, allergies or celiac disease should avoid them. They also contain significant amounts of refined oils. People on a ketogenic diet should avoid these preparations as the wheat content has an effect on insulin production. Make sure to check the ingredients if you want a burger like this as they also have other additives such as carrageenan.
- Based on rice and grains
PROS: Its ingredients are in principle organic, although you should make sure by carefully reading the list of ingredients and their origin.
CONS: These products contain a high amount of carbohydrates, so for people who are trying to lose weight, these ingredients in particular will make that process difficult and should be taken into account. On the other hand, rice preparations contain high levels of arsenic (unless you prepare it properly to remove it). Burgers that use other grains or cereals such as oats may contain glyphosate unless the label specifies that it is an organic product. These burgers also contain “natural flavors” and refined safflower and sunflower oils. Other additives included are guar gum, colorants and soy lecithin. Strictly vegan people should check that it does not contain eggs or dairy products as some of these preparations include the mentioned ingredients.
Lab-grown meat or cell-derived meat
Photograph from Future Perfect magazine showing lab-grown chicken meat approved for sale in Singapore.
It has been called “clean meat” and has been sold in restaurants in Singapore since early 2020. In fact, it is animal meat made in a laboratory from animal cells in a controlled growth environment.
In the United States, the distribution of meat products of cellular origin has also been approved, and considering the damage that livestock farming causes to the environment and public health, it sounds good.
In principle, no animals would have to suffer in its production, as laboratory-grown meat would replace industrial livestock farming, ending millions of animal deaths per hour and also reducing methane emissions and the absurd amounts of water used in the process. It is still too early to know if these products have side effects as it is a relatively new technology and is still in development.
According to the Food Revolution Network magazine article,
“Historically, meat from animal cells used fetal bovine serum (calf blood) in its culture medium, which raises major ethical issues.
When a pregnant cow is slaughtered, the fetus is separated from its mother and left to bleed to death. The blood is refined and converted into fetal bovine serum. Most lab-grown meat has been grown this way… however, as technology advances, some companies have begun replacing it with a plant-based culture medium.
To avoid contamination of this meat, large quantities of antibiotics must also be applied.” ( Robbins, 2019)
Finally, laboratory-produced meat has been tested since 2001 on NASA astronauts on long-term space missions, but there is still not enough evidence to support its safety.
Of course, these meat substitutes that have begun to appear in supermarkets and some natural product stores are a very important step in understanding and raising awareness of the measures we must take in these times to maintain balance on our planet. These products can greatly help people who want to consume less meat by making an appropriate substitution and providing some macronutrients that may be lacking in a vegan or vegetarian diet, most notably protein.
But it doesn't stop there, no burger, meat or sausage will be healthy enough if it is fried in trans fats or served with refined flours and sauces full of sugar and corn syrup. If we want to make positive and definitive changes in our lifestyle so that our body always responds efficiently, we must take the time to see what ingredients are in our meals, be sensitive to the way certain foods make us feel, pay attention to nutrients that we may be lacking and which of them we specifically need to include in our diet.