I've written before here on MattChat about "fake meat". It's quite the craze these days.
Which was why I was shocked to discover that most of it is pretty much China-based.
While America's biggest beef and pork producers were nearly laid low in April by COVID-19 cases in their workforce, sales of what detractors call "fake meat" boomed. But the pandemic may in time affect sales of plant-based protein, too, as U.S. consumers become more wary of all things China—which supplies a majority of the products' ingredients.
China's food-processing factories provide most of what goes into vegan burger patties and other meat replacements made by market leaders Beyond Meat and Impossible foods—an arrangement that could damage their standing among consumers in the coronavirus age.
Beyond Meat recently signed a significant deal with Shuangta Foods, located in China's Shandong province. Shuangta will provide 85 percent of the pea protein for its products. The company said its first purchases will total some 285 tons.
(https://www.newsweek.com/against-grain-beyond-meat-its-rivals-rely-chinese-ingredients-opening-food-safety-debate-1501585)
I guess my question is WHY?
America grows all sorts of legumes: a diverse assortment of beans plus peas as well.
Why can fake meat not be both "Sourced in America" and "Made in America"?
Yet another frustrating example of how we are relying on a foreign country (and in this case, a semi-hostile foreign country) to feed our nation.
No need at all for this.
More info (May 2019) on pea protein production scale-ups (Canada is all-in):
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-14/the-mighty-pea-is-everybody-s-new-favorite-plant-based-protein
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt
Which was why I was shocked to discover that most of it is pretty much China-based.
While America's biggest beef and pork producers were nearly laid low in April by COVID-19 cases in their workforce, sales of what detractors call "fake meat" boomed. But the pandemic may in time affect sales of plant-based protein, too, as U.S. consumers become more wary of all things China—which supplies a majority of the products' ingredients.
China's food-processing factories provide most of what goes into vegan burger patties and other meat replacements made by market leaders Beyond Meat and Impossible foods—an arrangement that could damage their standing among consumers in the coronavirus age.
Beyond Meat recently signed a significant deal with Shuangta Foods, located in China's Shandong province. Shuangta will provide 85 percent of the pea protein for its products. The company said its first purchases will total some 285 tons.
(https://www.newsweek.com/against-grain-beyond-meat-its-rivals-rely-chinese-ingredients-opening-food-safety-debate-1501585)
I guess my question is WHY?
America grows all sorts of legumes: a diverse assortment of beans plus peas as well.
Why can fake meat not be both "Sourced in America" and "Made in America"?
Yet another frustrating example of how we are relying on a foreign country (and in this case, a semi-hostile foreign country) to feed our nation.
No need at all for this.
More info (May 2019) on pea protein production scale-ups (Canada is all-in):
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-14/the-mighty-pea-is-everybody-s-new-favorite-plant-based-protein
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt