Restaurants introduce plant-based meats amid environmental concerns
FILE - In this June 27, 2019 file photo, a meatless burger patty called Beyond Burger made by Beyond Meat is displayed at a grocery store in Richmond, Va. Beyond Meat reports financial earns on Monday, Oct. 28. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
As the tension surrounding environmental concerns continues to grow, unexpected players like Burger King and Dunkin Donuts are taking steps to show their devotion to saving the earth. New “plant-based meat” options claim to have a smaller environmental footprint compared to actual meat.
The two big competitors on the market right now are Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. While these companies have been around since 2009 and 2011, they are just now becoming recognizable brands.
Despite their deals with Qdoba, KFC, Burger King, McDonald’s and even high-end restaurants, the meatless meats from these companies are facing backlash.
Dr. Ben Christmann, associate professor of biology and health science, believes the controversy stems from the newness of the products and the reputation of “lab-produced” foods.
“There’s controversy over new [things] because people are either ignorant or scared or traditionalists,” Christmann said. “[Another] big thing is that now you’ve got this lab-produced food item, for lack of a better term, … and so some people are just scared by the fact a lab-produced food doesn’t sound like what I should be eating.”
While fear of the new and unknown is an understandable reaction to plant-based meats, Christmann also attributes the controversy surrounding Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers to environmental and underlying political issues.
“One of the driving forces behind [the push for plant-based meats] is more an environmental issue, and it does seem to carry some environmental weight. But then now, we start moving into not just environmental issues but political issues which are going to charge things up,” Christmann said. “This is sort of guilt by association in that regard.”
More scrutiny comes from the nutritional value of Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers. A majority of people may assume that a vegan or vegetarian product has a full serving of vegetables, fewer calories, less fat and overall health — but this is not always true.
According to Christmann, products like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers are specifically designed to provide similar nutritional content of a pure beef burger in terms of amino acids, fats, etc.
Nutritionist and author Bonnie Taub-Dix told TODAY, “If you're ditching meat for health reasons, don't be fooled by thinking any of these fake meat burgers are going to unclog your arteries or resemble what is often referred to as ‘clean eating.’”
Senior biology major Chastin Kim, who has been a vegetarian since his early teen years, said he does not understand plant-based meat as sustenance for everyday consumption.
“If you’re not super passionate about animal cruelty and against those things, then I don't think there’s a point [in eating them],” Kim said. “There’s still a lot of process and environmental things going into making crazy stuff like Beyond Meat.”
However, Kim is still grateful for the alternatives Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger provide to those who may need it.
“My [friend] had to be vegan for an autoimmune disease she has,” Kim said. “When I think about it, I’m glad that if she ever just really missed a burger or something like that, she could buy [a plant-based burger] for a special occasion or whenever because she has this disease and wouldn’t be able to enjoy it otherwise.”
Sophomore political science major Kelsey Osborne has been vegetarian for seven months and is slowly transitioning toward full veganism. She advocates for further implementation of plant-based burgers as a helpful way to transition.
“The Impossible Whopper at Burger King tastes just like a burger, and maybe it’s a little different because I haven’t had meat in seven months, but the first time I ate it I cried because it was so good,” Osborne said.
Osborne does not find herself missing steak or burgers — except for the occasional plate of chicken nuggets — but feels that the Impossible Burger and other plant-based meats are more than satisfactory for her diet.
However, Osborne finds it unnecessary to question her or others’ choice to eat plant-based burgers.
“I have men, all the time, that’ll come up to me and ask why I’m vegetarian. So, I give them my reasons — like it’s more sustainable for the earth and a personal choice — and then they give me reasons why I shouldn’t be vegetarian,” Osborne said. “I’m just like, ‘Why do you care what I’m eating? It’s not going in your body, I’m not telling you you’re a horrible person or a murderer for killing a cow. What’s the difference between me eating processed plants and you eating processed meat?’”
For more information about Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger, visit their websites.
