3D-printed meat, insects or fauxmage: What's for dinner, dear?

The Star (Malaysia) ^ | Saturday, 24 Apr 2021

[nickcarraway]

Meat is now in competition with engineered and natural alternatives like insects, which could become a major food source in the future. – Photo: LikeMeat/Unsplash, via AFP

Alternatives to meat are increasingly prevalent in today's stores. Some imitate the taste and texture of meat, while others feature adventurous new ingredients like insects.

Is all this a foretaste of what we will be eating in the future? Would you care for more insects with your 3D-printed steak? Meat alternatives are increasingly in vogue. According to this year's report by the specialist consultancy DigitalFoodLab, in 2020, start-ups in the FoodTech sector attracted a remarkable 2.7 billion euros in investment, which will now serve to finance projects as diverse as insect farms and the production of lab-grown meat.

Much of this money will be used for processing which is set to increase by 245%. And that is a sure sign that a host of surprising products will soon be making their way to the general market. Here is a quick look at some of the remarkable innovations, which could soon be commonplace in our fridges and on our plates.

Anyone for worms? No, that is not a misprint. An aptly named French company Ynsect has found success farming mealworms, the larval form of the poetically named Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle.

[polymuser]

Coming soon to pubic schools near you!

Molitoroni & Cheese
Tenebrio loaf sammiches
Mealworm Tacos

[ClearCase_guy]

Isaac Asimov had a story years ago about a planet of gourmets. Their food was basically fungus (easily grown in sustainable vats). But the trick was to fiddle with chemicals in the laboratory to make the fungus taste delicious in a million ways. IIRC, they had plantary contest for who could create the most delicious meal.

And then some guy shows up with a meal that doesn't taste like anything the judges have seen before. It is beyond delicious. It blows them away. They demand to know how he made food taste so good. He explains: "It's called 'garlic'. I grew it." A judge say, "You grew it? You mean, in the dirt?" He says "yes".

And all the judges begin to vomit.

We're on the way. "Hey, I only eat fake stuff. I can't imagine eating real food. That's so gross."

[metmom]

Not the food in my future.

[metmom]

Good.

That’s more real stuff for us.

[PROCON]

The Ultimate Goal:

[lizma2]

Heard today cicadas taste like shrimp.

I’ve several dozen in my yard right now. Hummmm.

[elteemike]

https://tv.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/5bd91f43-a5d8-45c6-bfa3-88a2676514c1

“It is nourishment; we call it that.”

[joshua c]

all they are missing is demand

[Songcraft]

The printer went haywire, so, for dinner tonight, we're just going to have some sauteed cookbooks, and some boiled bookworms.

[SamAdams76]

[Organic Panic]

Golly. If only there was some natural organic way to convert plant matter to meat. I’m stumped....

[Songcraft]

"Golly. If only there was some natural organic way to convert plant matter to meat. I’m stumped...."

There is!   It's called a "cow".

 

[Trillian]

Meat is now in competition with engineered and natural alternatives like insects, which could become a major food source in the future.

No, they aren't. hahahaha