Naturally Meaty Meat Alternatives

Matt Eastland is joined by author and podcaster Paul Shapiro (CEO of The Better Meat Co.) and biologist and food entrepreneur Alison Stille (Co-founder and CEO of Walding Foods) to get their thoughts on the alternative meat market and how the industry can influence further change.

Takeaway points:

• How do we feed our growing population and find a way to satisfy our ‘meat tooth’ without rearing and slaughtering animals? We need to create meat-like experiences, which are better for humanity and the planet.
• We are seeing a shift from producing foods for vegetarians which taste good but are very different to meat, to producing food products which mimic meat intended for people who want to continue eating meat.
• One of the barriers for innovation in the alternative protein sector in Europe is the current legislation around ‘novel foods’, which can require a huge investment in time and money to prove a product is safe for consumption.
• The Better Meat Co. is using fermentation to make versatile mycoprotein ingredients for food companies to use as the basis of their blended and fully animal-free meats. Their product Rhiza is a whole food, complete protein ingredient that’s versatile, allergen-free, neutral in taste, and naturally has the texture of animal meat. Rhiza mycoprotein contains more protein than eggs, more iron than beef, more fibre than oats, more potassium than bananas, and naturally contains vitamin B12.
• Walding Foods are part of the EIT Food Accelerator network and are producing natural, sustainable and tasty food products from fungi. They are developing a process for growing the Chicken of the woods, a high-protein fungus which tastes and has the texture of chicken.