The Food Revolution: How Realistic Is Fake Meat?

Since I was a little girl, I have been vegetarian, and have been completely vegan for two years. Eating no animal products now comes naturally to me, and I am grateful to have the resources and support system to live and eat the way I want to. While this is easy for me, I don't expect for everyone to start eating tofu and vegan cream cheese, because this does require a significant lifestyle change. However, many people are now turning to alternatives for the sake of their health, animal welfare, or for the environment, which is amazing. Meat and dairy still dominate the average American's diet, but even small changes can help improve climate issues, and can contribute to a greater cause. Whatever the reason may be, scientists have sought to improve the taste, texture, and production of faux-meat in order to appeal to more consumers. The stereotype surrounding fake meat is that it is gray, tough, and tasteless, but this common association is quickly being altered by new, yummy, and sustainable food products that hit the market every day.

The Impossible Burger- Look at that meaty red color!

One may not consider the scientific research required to replicate the satisfying texture of meat, but decades of studies have gone into fake meat production. Soy protein, which is globular, is commonly used in fake meat products, because once it has been denatured, it becomes more stringy and fibrous. Denaturation is the altering of protein structure, and is dependent on the temperature and pH on protein's environment. This information relates directly to the AP Biology curriculum, because the curriculum focused on how the structure of proteins relates to their function. The image below uses a fried egg as a great example of a denatured protein.

A Visual Representation of Protein Denaturation

Another newer method is crosslinking proteins to get a more wet and juicy consistency. Companies such as Beyond Meat and The Impossible Burger are making fake meat more real, without all of the antibiotics, hormones, and additives. I actually tried the Impossible Burger at Momofuku in NYC, and I thought I was eating real meat. It surprised me, but it was amazing how accurately the taste and texture of meat could be replicated.

The Impossible Burger

The meaty taste that everyone loves is due to umami taste receptors, or the receptors that detect savory flavors, which can also be activated by sauces and other toppings. This taste is produced by reactions between amino acids and sugars, and the amino acid called glutamate is produced during the aging and cooking of meat. To make similar coloring and tastes from these amino acids, red coloring is used with a combination of umami sauces to get the same meaty experience.

Many people know about fake meat packages that are now readily available at most grocery stores, but what about the products that aren't yet available to the public, and are still being tested? The newest experiment in the world of food science is fake meat growth using real animal stem cells. This process takes actual animal muscle tissue, and places the cells in an environment that encourages growth and cell replication. The product is a lab-created burger that is as close to the real thing as possible. The Washington Post says, "...a 2011 study calculated that growing meat in labs would cut down on the land required to produce steaks, sausages and bacon by 99 percent and reduce the associated need for water by 90 percent. What’s more, it found that a pound of lab-created meat would produce much less polluting greenhouse-gas emissions than is produced by cows and pigs, even poultry." With less environmental impacts, what's not to love? For one, the price tag. These products currently cost tens of thousands of dollars for one burger, so until these 'real' meats become cheaper to create, many still rely on their trusty soy burgers. 

A Lab Grown Burger

There is a ton of biology involved in food studies, and scientists are only beginning to discover how to manipulate cells and chemicals to produce more healthy and environmentally friendly meat products. These 'real' burgers are delicious, and with almost no environmental impact, so go try one out today!