Consumption and production changes present new opportunities
Substitutes are on the rise, but meat is here to stay The demand for meat substitutes is growing. More and more consumers are buying soy, legumes and other alternatives to meat. Technological developments are ongoing, with new food products that can compete with meat both in terms of taste and texture. Is there still a future for livestock farming? Parallel to the growing demand for substitutes, research studies by the Voedingscentrum, the Dutch nutrition centre that keeps track of all developments related to nutrition, show that meat consumption has fallen in recent years. “We are seeing a declining trend since 2010,” says expert in nutrition and sustainability Corné van Dooren. He does stress, however, that we should put this development in the proper perspective. “The demand for alternatives is increasing, but at the same time we need to realize that it is tsill a proportionally small market share.” Meat substitutes come in all shapes and sizes. “The first foods we should think of are mainly vegetable products,” Van Dooren explains. “These include eggs, nuts, legumes and soya, such as tofu and tempeh, plus their derivatives like humus. Then we also have the industrial products, which
include imitation meat with structured protein. All these foodstuffs, along with meat, are listed in the various nutritional guides, as long as they contain sufficient protein, iron and B vitamins and not too much saturated fat and salt.” Health risks In recent years, meat has regularly come under fire in the news because of the health risks that are possibly associated with eating it. “Lean meat still fits perfectly well into a healthy diet,” assures Van Dooren. “We advise to eat no more than 500 grams of meat a week and to avoid processed and red meat as much as possible. Meat substitutes can be a healthy alternative, but it’s important to look carefully at the ingredients beforehand. Many meat substitutes contain too much salt.”
“Less than 5 percent of the population is currently vegetarian or vegan”
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