Artificial Meat Is Officially On Sale, Do We Really Need It?

With the arrival of Tmall International’s “Black Friday” in China, the first domestic retail sales of artificial meat has also officially commenced in the country, which means that domestic consumers can now directly buy artificial meat. The artificial meat OmniPork sold this time was developed by Right Treat, a food research institute owned by Green Monday, Hong Kong. The retail price is 28 yuan (US$3.98) and the weight of each package is 230 grams.

At present, artificial meat is mainly divided into two types, one is animal meat cultivated based on animal cells, and the other is plant-based, which is as close to meat as possible in terms of nutrition and taste. OmniPork artificial meat belongs to the latter.

The Benefit of Plant Based Meat

According to official instructions, OmniPork is made from all plant-based materials and contains a vegan protein formula made from peas, non-GMO soybeans, winter mushrooms and rice. It is cholesterol-free, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free. Its saturated fat is reduced by 71% and calories are reduced by 62%, but it can provide more dietary fiber, 233% calcium and 53% iron at the same time.

At the same time, Omnipork’s new pork is not particularly limited in cooking. It can be seasoned, fried, fried, stewed, fried, chopped to make meatballs or used with other Chinese dishes. Several hotels and restaurants in Beijing and Shanghai have announced the introduction of new pork products from OmniPork.

Due to artificial synthesis, artificial meat can achieve the desired nutritional intake. Take the first-generation artificial beef burger as an example. The main ingredients are water, structured wheat protein, coconut oil, and potato protein. They are close to real meat in taste, but far behind in nutrition. After the second generation upgraded the raw materials to soy protein, the amino acid composition of soy protein was closer to human needs, which also made artificial meats popular.

In theory, artificial meat production can better avoid microbial contamination. In particular, cell cultured meat can directly avoid the effects of antibiotics and flu, and also does not require any pharmaceutical additives, and food can be safer. However, the two sides of the matter determine new risk points in the production process of artificial meat.

The US Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration have specially supervised them and conducted risk factors that may occur in the entire production and marketing. For example, in July 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a document that believed that heme, used for coloring in artificial meat, could be a potential allergen.

However, the risk will never stop the capital from entering. Celebrities including Bill Gates and Leonardo Plum brought capital to the famous Beyond Meat artificial meat company. The company ’s Impossible burger products alone have surpassed The US $ 260 million financing has become a successful case of IPO in the artificial meat field.

From an environmental perspective, the use of artificial meat can also reduce the consumption of land resources by the livestock industry. Now for every kilogram of beef obtained, at least 7 kilograms of dry grains are consumed when feeding, and for each kilogram of pork, more than 4 kilograms of dry grains are consumed. The artificial meat itself is directly derived from plant or cell culture, and consumes little energy, which has far-reaching sustainable development significance.

Whether from a safety, nutrition, capital, or sustainability perspective, the appeal of artificial meat is indeed not small.

So, Does It Mean You Can Now Meat Freely?

Better nutritional intake through artificial meat does not mean that it can be completely healthy during cooking. Although a balanced diet can avoid certain unhealthy eating habits, it is still impossible to rely entirely on the same food for all problems.

Especially for vegetarians, protein, vitamin B, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, iron, and zinc deficiency have become commonplace due to lack of necessary meat intake.

The aforementioned OmniPork new pork has 233% higher calcium content than ordinary pork, and it is not completely absorbed by the body. The absorption rate of calcium by the body fluctuates with the calcium level in the body, the form of calcium in food, and the calcium intake. Generally, the absorption rate is only between 20% and 30%, which affects the body in many ways. Among the dietary factors for calcium absorption, vitamin D, protein, lactose, and acidic media can promote calcium absorption, while oxalic acid, phytic acid, excess fat, and imbalanced calcium-phosphorus ratios in food can interfere with calcium absorption.

Interestingly, vitamin D3, which can promote the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is mainly stored in the granule layer of human skin, is converted by sunlight or ultraviolet radiation. Even if intake of calcium tablets containing vitamin D3, it is not guaranteed to be completely absorbed by the body.

Diversity of intake remains the guarantee of a healthy diet. Especially adding proper amount of whole grain food, dietary fiber, fruits and vegetables, and reasonable cooking oil are very important. Yes, even the Omnipork’s new pork supports Chinese food, the seasonings and side dishes are just as important.

Therefore, being able to buy artificial meat in e-commerce is only a good start. Diversified diet, exercise and sun exposure are also important.