Live data from Hacker News

Plant-based meat is turning out to be a flop

bloomberg.com

71–80 of 813 posts

Re: Plant-based meat is turning out to be a flop

#71
post #32
post #7

If any of the planet saving meat substitute promises are true, such a fake meat patty would cost a tenth of the beef equivalent and it would dominate the market. I read somewhere you would need 25 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of beef, ergo one could potentially produce 25 times the amount of substitute. Obviously that isn't true and such a patty is a specialized product of various highly processed plant matter. It is a…

86% of feed is grown on land [1], which is not suitable for growing human food crops. [1]: https://www.agfoundation.org/common-questions/view/could-mor...

[dead]

Re: Plant-based meat is turning out to be a flop

#72
post #65
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meat and milk are basic foods.

And vegan alternatives are not? Meat was a luxury product not eaten every day for most of history and still is in most parts of the world. Given the environmental impact of Meat and Diary in terms of CO2, Methane, Water usage, and Deforestation we should heavily reconsider our nonchalant view of them as a cheap commodity.

Dairy is much less of an environmental concern than beef (not sure about chicken). If the concern is animal welfare, then yes it's still a horror story in many ways, but not everyone who is pushing away from meat has the same reasons.

Re: Plant-based meat is turning out to be a flop

#73
post #48
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many millions of people who believe that, generally, the less processed, ie the closer to it's natural state any food item is, the better it is for you (or the less bad it is for you). Are you not aware of this?

and their are billions of people who like cooking and pounding vegatables into goo and then adding 10 to 30 spices to make yummy curries

Which step do they throw some high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats and yellow #5 into their curries?

Re: Plant-based meat is turning out to be a flop

#74

I dont understand the obsession with reproducing meat out of plants. There are many plant based meals that are excellent without pretending to be bacon or steak or burgers. There is not, and should not be an industry trying to making pasta-based lettuce or potato-based lemons.

> I dont understand the obsession with reproducing meat out of plants.

I don't understand why someone has to bring this up every. single. time.

People like meat. Those same people may want to become vegetarian for ethical reasons. They still like meat though.

Oh look, a product that can fit in that "I like meat" slot without killing animals. Sounds tasty.

What else is there to understand?

Re: Plant-based meat is turning out to be a flop

#75
I recall when I was in the states budget king was doing an impossible whopper for the same price as a standard whopper.

And the taste was pretty equivalent. Obviously a Burger King beef patty is not a premium product, so that’s not an impressive feat from a taste perspective. But as a replacement for mediocre quality beef, it seemed like a winner.

I assumed at the time tho that the price was subsidised. And I’m not sure if Burger King still offers this.

Another anecdote, a year or so back, in Australia, the meat alternatives were being heavily discounted in Cole’s (major supermarket), which I assumed was due to poor sales. At 50% off it was an easy buy. But when the cost is significantly higher than meat I’m less interested.

Re: Plant-based meat is turning out to be a flop

#76
post #73
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and their are billions of people who like cooking and pounding vegatables into goo and then adding 10 to 30 spices to make yummy curries

Which step do they throw some high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats and yellow #5 into their curries?

Where's that in impossible mince?

Re: Plant-based meat is turning out to be a flop

#77
Trying to discuss diets is always controversial, and I hope I don't sound like I'm on a high horse. Everyone has different motivations for their diets. It could be health, ethics, taste preference, etc..

I try to be a "flexitarian", because personally I find it gives me a good balance between nutrition, environmental impact, taste and ethical animal treatment (I try to animals seldomly and eat every single bit of the animal, offal, intestines, ears, tails, feet, etc).

I'm also probably in the minority that actually likes the taste of "fake meat". I have them every now and then, but I'm fully aware that it's not "healthy food" and it's expensive and I'm not sure about the enviromental impact. When I have it, it's mostly to fulfill req #4 (eating fewer animals).

Re: Plant-based meat is turning out to be a flop

#78

Maybe unpopular opinion, but for me, best plant based patties are those that do not try to replicate meat taste. I much prefer patties made from actual plants&vegetables/mushrooms/chickpeas/beans like potato, carrot, some spices and so on. They have like actual 'natural' flavor, almost like something homemade. Those that add a ton of additives often taste awful, even beyond/moving mountains...

You can do up a portobello burger in a thousand different ways and they all taste amazing. I do not understand the fascination with replicating meat for environmental good when nature herself provides plenty of delicious alternatives.

Ever had a deep-fried cheese-stuffed portobello? Mama mia...

Post reply on HN