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The Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry?

outsideonline.com

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Re: The Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry?

#61
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agree that it's not as healthy as eating less processed plant based foods, however I don't think anyone is going to Burger King or White Castle expecting that. But are these plant burgers actually claiming or marketing themselves as healthy? The only places I have seen them served are in restaurants and bars alongside burgers and unhealthy bar food - which I think you might be surprised is a big chunk of many people'…

> But are these plant burgers actually claiming or marketing themselves as healthy? Yes. A snippet from the top paragraph of Beyond Meat's Product Page: "Imagine your favorite meaty dishes[...]while being better for you [...]"[1] [1] https://www.beyondmeat.com/products/ Edit: Beyond Meat is not claiming they are healthy , just that they are healthier . Edit 2: Looking farther, they also state that they are "IMPROVING…

>> But are these plant burgers actually claiming or marketing themselves as healthy?

> Yes.

That's not how I read that at all, look at your own quote again.

> "Imagine your favorite meaty dishes[...]while being better for you [...]"[1]"

Evaluate the context -- they're not claiming that a Beyond Burger is better for you than unprocessed vegetables. They're saying it's better for you than the other places you get "your favorite meaty dishes like burgers and tacos".

Healthy > Unhealthy: Unprocessed vegetables > Processed vegetable burgers > Processed animal burgers

They are not marketing themselves as "healthy" (what does that even mean?) -- they're marketing them self as better than animal.

Re: The Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry?

#62
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel the same way about vegetables. I know other animals do it all the time, but when you add them up all the plant deaths are horrific.

If you honestly believe the harming/killing of animals and plants are equivalent, come by my place later. I've got some hedges in my front yard and a dog. I'll get out the hedge clippers and we can demonstrate there's no real difference between cutting parts off of a bush and a mammal.

All that demonstrates is that mammals can recognize each other’s suffering. It’s entirely possible that when a plant is killed, there is also suffering, but it’s so foreign to us we can’t recognize it.

Re: The Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry?

#63
post #2

This whole submarine vegan agenda is annoying. Yes, people will choose to go with the artificial beef. No it's not going to replace beef. It's a subsitute. A few things: 1. Cows are not optimized to make meat: Animals aren't a food factory. Animals eat other animals. We are animals and happen to have a wide variety of what we can eat 2. There are distinct benefits from eating meat (vitamins), in which it's incredibly…

In the article the author talks about eating both a beef burger and cheese, so I don't think he has a "vegan agenda". > 2. There are distinct benefits from eating meat (vitamins), in which it's incredibly inefficient from getting them from plants Raising meat with today's common production methods (feed lots) is incredibly inefficient. In fact, a plant based diet can meet all nutritional requirements with just B12 vi…

> just B12 vitamins

Those require processing, and often times the supplement industry isn't exactly that clean. (I'm looking at you cheap fish oil sups)

Also you should consider the efficency of what the equillence of plans would take. (More plants requires more land+water, which requires more infrastructure, more transportation, etc). Also, don't forget about soil quality and erosion. You can't just grow infinitely on the same land. Let's not forget yield loss due to pests and diease.

Cows are huge and they feed a lot of people with very little waste. (Assuming you don't throw out the organs and bones)

---

Overall, I would be interested in a thorough look at both sides per person. Most of the articles I've seen from vegetarians and vegans have been completely ignoring the logistics involved and overall impact.

Re: The Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry?

#64

I'm starting to think more and more that people promoting plant based burgers have either never tasted beef or never tasted a plant based burger. If the main concern is environment I get it and go for it. But if you are claiming that plant based burgers are healthier or tastier you are borderline delusional. Last time I cooked a Beyond Meat burger I noticed it was 30% canola oil. 30% CANOLA OIL, might as well just in…

It keeps going because the Impossible Burgers actually do taste good, and seem not insane like the canola oil thing you mentioned.

Re: The Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry?

#66
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Canola oil (and all plant products) have no cholesterol; red meat is high in cholesterol.

While true, cholesterol is slowly being exonerated as a villain. My primary care physician no longer orders cholesterol tests, for example. Sugar, not fat, is the real problem. And those researches that took bribes in the 60's to turn us all against fat. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-in...

The real problem is LDL cholesterol when it is combined with excess sugar. HDL cholesterol is harmless afaik.

Cholesterol is not bad - your body produces way more than you ever ingest on a single day.

Re: The Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry?

#67

Nope. Last time I checked, not all beef is consumed as hamburgers. The alt meat craze (if there is one) is due to the novelty factor. The interest will decline over time. That said, what does a raw Impossible Burger taste like? A raw hamburger? Imagine wolfing down a raw one in front of a group of unknowing and terrified onlookers.

> not all beef is consumed as hamburgers

I know most of mine is. Not necessarily in the classic sandwich form, but there's spaghetti sauce, moussaka, shepherd's pie, chili, pizza, and throwing it into a big bucket with other foods and spices and mixing it up and eating it with a spoon. Tastes good,man.

Re: The Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry?

#69
I’ve got a beef with this article.

I can probably only consider the end of the beef industry getting near when:

a. There are more people I see opting for the plant based food, instead of beef;

b. When there’s really a shortage of cattle that produces or slaughtered as beef.

There’s a moral aspect of eating plant based foods, but I cannot see anyone transitioning easily from animal based meat products to select plant-based foods as their main source of sustenance. It will take a lot of discipline, willpower and of course, the availability (and affordability) of plant based food products for someone considering the shift.

Re: The Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry?

#70

I don’t think most people will have a problem switching to plant based burgers as long as they taste good, but I think that’s still the sticking point at the moment. I’ve had an Impossible burger a few times and could always taste a strong difference (I even did a few blind taste tests). I don’t think it’s close to actual meat yet. Supposedly the second version of the burger has improved; I haven’t tried it yet. Chea…

Even with Wagyu and Kobe, the whole cow isn't getting turned into premium cuts of meat. Burger and sausage are going to be a byproduct of the parts that aren't high margin proportional to the demand for the rest of it. Kind of like how eggs are so cheap because they are a natural byproduct of the chicken meat industry and the insatiable American lust for all white meat breast. I wouldn't be surprised to see an effect…

Egg-laying hens and chicken breast hens are usually different breeds, each bred to maximize egg laying capacity and breast size respectively.
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