The category of products that use ancient technology, which, according to experts, can become a dark horse in the race for creating more affordable and delicious meat alternatives: fermentation.
Protein -rich products made from fermentation of tiny organisms called germs can play a significant role in maintaining the transition from more resource -intensive food production methods. The model study, published last year in Nature, showed that the replacement of 20 percent of world consumption of beef and other grazing cattle, microbial proteins grown from the fungus can reduce annual deforestation by twice by 2050 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Last year, there were more than 130 companies focused on fermentation of alternative proteins, which is 12 percent more than the number of well -known companies in 2021, according to the GOOD FOOD Institute industry report, a non -profit organization that promotes meat alternatives. Some experts say that consumers can expect more products made by fermentation on the shelves in the next year or two.
"For millennia, we have used fermentation for food production," said Adam Leman, a leading fermentation researcher at the Institute of Good Food. "We can use many of the same types of germs that we have used for a long time, but we simply use them in the best ways to offer more solutions for protein, fat and generally for the nutrition of all the people we can."
Fermentation is a natural process that uses living microorganisms to convert raw ingredients into products with improved storage and nutritional value. Tempe, yogurt, kimchi and beer are just some examples of popular fermented products and drinks.
The alternative protein industry uses this traditional process, as well as two other types of fermentation: biomass and accuracy.
"Many of these products are then minimal processing, say, with heat treatment, and then drying or fast freezing to optimize their texture and shelf life," he said. "They can often contain useful nutrients next to protein, such as dietary fiber and group B."
Precision fermentation uses germs to produce certain ingredients that affect the functionality and taste of products. Ingredients created with this type of fermentation, which include proteins, vitamins, enzymes, fats and natural pigments, can be used to improve vegetable products and grown meat laboratory to obtain products that are more reminiscent of traditional animal products.
If you plan to try these products, it is important to know about potential allergies, Lehman said. People with allergies to certain types of mold can also be sensitive to some products that use fermented mushrooms. Specific proteins created as a result of fermentation can also be the same as those contained in an equivalent product of animal origin, said Leman. For example, if you are allergic to protein of traditional milk, you are likely to be allergic to the version of this protein made of fermented fungus.
Food components resulting from fermentation can be the bulk of the alternative meat or they may be part of the mixture of ingredients. For example, adding an ingredient created by fermentation can create a meat aroma and taste to a plant -based cutlet and even imitate "bleeding" cutlets.
The use of fermentation to create alternative meat products also has many potential environmental benefits. In addition to the fact that germs are less resource -intensive than traditional products of animal origin, they can be fed using a variety of nutrients, many of which can come from the lateral flows of agriculture, which otherwise would be waste, experts say. The speed and efficiency of growing these microorganisms, which is often done in the bioreactor, can also help reduce operating costs.
"This kind of technology has great potential in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the use of water, land use and reducing the degradation of natural resources," said Frank HU, Head of the Harvard School of Public Health named after T.H. In the meantime, it can produce very nutritious products. "
Although experts say that protein products produced by fermentation are promising, only these products are not enough to solve the problem. In addition to scalability and taste preferences, the higher cost of fermentation -based products, which is similar to other alternative meat variants, also remains a barrier to many consumers, said HU.
Ferritig said some companies are working to combine the benefits of available alternative proteins. Fermentation, she said, may be the key to solving some obstacles that the industry faces, including help reducing costs.
"Given the effectiveness of fermentation, the fact that these products are potentially able to reach cost parity faster than some other alternatives, it will be important," she said. "
