MAKE IT TILL YOU FAKE IT
New Zealand Listener|April 2 - 8, 2022
The world is continuing to experiment with lab-grown meat and dairy. But will consumers embrace the trend?
ANDREA GRAVES
MAKE IT TILL YOU FAKE IT

It feels like it has been a long time coming, but Impossible Burger patties finally arrived in Countdown supermarkets this month. The patties are vegan but meat-like thanks to the added blood. Not real blood, of course, but a version of blood's heme component that is created with biotech trickery.

The American-made patties are not entirely new to Aotearoa. Four years ago, Air New Zealand sparked a debate over the future of our agricultural industry when it became the first airline in the world to serve meatless burgers to its premium customers. And they have been available at select eateries for several months.

For consumers, though, it means more choice. The Impossible Burger joins the Beyond Burger, which is also American, and several Kiwi options.

The "fake meat" industry has been the hottest new thing in Silicon Valley for several years now. Alternative sources of protein that still taste like meat are touted as essential to feed the planet, slow climate change, conserve water, reduce agricultural pollution and animal exploitation, and even ward off heart disease. A local survey by Rabobank and food waste charity KiwiHarvest last April found 30% of us want to eat less meat, and 45% are open to trying meat alternatives.

Over the past few months, however, there have been signs that investors are starting to get nervous about the future of plant-based meats. Declining sales and growing losses have been particularly damaging for Beyond Meat, the company behind Beyond Burger, which has seen its share price fall by nearly two-thirds since June last year.

The Financial Times reports that sales of plant-based meat in the US declined by 0.5% last year, after a 46% rise in 2020. In the UK, sales tailed off in the second half of 2021, although they experienced a rebound in December.

Esta historia es de la edición April 2 - 8, 2022 de New Zealand Listener.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición April 2 - 8, 2022 de New Zealand Listener.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE NEW ZEALAND LISTENERVer todo
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 minutos  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 9, 2024