Mushroom, quinoa and laboratory "hamburgers": three sustainable options to replace meat – 17/03/2019

If humanity wants to sustainably nourish 10 billion people -the estimated world population for the next 30 years- it is necessary to set up a food supply system more inclusive and effective that the current and that suits the climate change. The goal is to find an inexpensive and easy-to-produce protein source that can replace the meat, responsible for a quarter of greenhouse gases (GHG). A locally produced mushroom, quinoa or amaranth and lab meat are among the possible substitutes.

A report presented this year at the World Economic Forum (WEF), titled "Meat: The Succession of the Future", raises the need to look for alternative high-protein products. The paper – signed by Joseph Poore of the University of Oxford in England and Thomas Nemecek of the Agroscope Institute in Switzerland – indicates that the abandonment of the bovine diet could reduce GHG emissions between 7% and 26%. In addition, average production of South American beef generates three times more GHGs and requires 10 times more land that the European

In the country, the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) and the company EnyeTech announced the development of a mushroom called Fusarium Venenatum, also known as Quorn or the core. The project aimed to find a new source of protein, not containing cholesterol, with a low fat content and a high percentage of fiber, without it being necessary to use animals as a conversion method.

"We have learned to multiply it efficiently in an industrial culture environment.This mushroom has a neutral taste and a fiber consistency similar to tuna.In the protein scale only the egg exceeds, whose biological value is 100, against 84% of this microprotein. Our idea is to market an appliance so that any family can cultivate at home in a simple way. In addition, sell the raw material and cartridges to feed it, "says Horacio Acerbo, co-founder of EnyeTech.

In addition, its carbon footprint is much lower to the production of animal protein and consume 15 times less water and soil resourcesSince it is made in barrels or barrels, it is therefore a sustainable and environmentally friendly option. And because its fibers are closely linked and firm, it is an excellent substitute for meat.

"It's a product that's been on the market for 50 years, but it's more geared toward trade than food.This is not a mushroom hat because it looks more like the one that's growing bread. Offers a higher protein level than chicken and meat. Nor does it depend on environmental factors for its production. We speak with a chef to prepare meals based on this mushroom and he says that it is something unique, because by not having the taste interference, you can Make sweet and savory recipes", Comments Martín Blasco, head of the bioprocess department at INTI.

To improve consumer choice, the EU-funded PROTEIN2FOOD project develops innovative products from high-quality, nutritious and low-carbon crops. Among those successfully studied are: Quinoa and amaranth, who come from the Andean region of South America.

The peculiarity of this international collaboration lies in the fact that it is interested in the entire food value chain. From crop optimization to the development of new protein ingredients, food prototypes to conduct acceptance studies up to new combinations for their consumption.

"We can cover the body's protein needs in terms of the amount needed, because the legumes we work with can contain values ​​between 15 and 50% protein and grains between 12 and 20%." Production and distribution are feasible because these cultures exist in several countriesbut many of them, as in the case of legumes, are for animal feed, "explains Gabriela Renee Alandia Robles, head of the Plants and Environmental Sciences Department (PLEN) at the University of Copenhagen.

According to the researchers, the project is not trying to convince carnivores to convert to vegetarianism, but offer consumers additional alternatives that require fewer resources and therefore reduce the amount of meat consumed.

And in case all the above options fail to convince, artificial meat can be the alternative in gold. Several Israeli start-ups have joined companies around the world trying to produce laboratory meat, convinced that it could help meet the growing demand for food.

Artificial meat or in vitro is made up of animal cells grown in the laboratory, using a technology similar to that of stem cells. "Meat production is a very inefficient activity, but the crop requires 10 times less water, less land and less energysaid Yaakov Nahmias, a professor of bioengineering at the Hebrew University and founder of Future Meat Technologies.

The impact on the environment

Environmental organizations believe that livestock is responsible for 65% Emissions of nitrous oxide gas, a greenhouse gas with a potential 296 greater than carbon dioxide. The same goes for the 37% all the methane (23 times more harmful than CO2) that comes from the digestive system of ruminants. Industrial farming and pastures to feed animals occupy 45% of the world's habitable land. Not to mention that it takes 9,400 liters of water to produce 500 grams of beef. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agriculture is responsible for the dumping of large quantities of agrochemicals, organic materials, sediments and salts in the water. Although there is no overall figure, it is estimated that forage consumes 37% of pesticides, 50% of antibiotics and produces one third of the nitrogen and phosphorus that contaminate the environment. ;water.

A study conducted by the Institute of Agricultural and Commercial Policy (IATP) cautioned that while the sector continues to grow at a rate as fast as the past few years, by 2050, will be responsible for 80% of greenhouse gases which are published every year in the world.

DD