Veganism is quite a movement in the West; where people are choosing to eschew food and products sourced from animals. They do this for ethical reasons; believing that animal rights preclude killing by humans for foods. They also do this for health reasons; with the understanding that eating no meat and dairy products results in a healthier body weight and fewer ailments. But now veganism is going mainstream and experts feel that it is not necessarily a healthier lifestyle choice.
Beyond Meat is an American company that manufactures meat substitutes: plant based food products that mimic the look, texture and feel of meat. The company tagline is ‘the future of protein’; which is clearly meant to counter the apprehension that a plant based diet is protein deficient. The vegan lifestyle, and by extension this company have become so successful that its revenue has shot up 167% in the less than a year. Between the years 2015 and 2017, the revenue of Beyond Meat increased from $8.8 million to 32.6 million; at a rate of 92%! The company has officially filed a public offering and its stock will now be traded on the NASDAQ.
To be clear, the company tries hard to satisfy the beastly meat-eating urges of its customers; most if not all of whom were brought up eating meat and other animal products. So most of the customers are people who may still crave meat at some level and who want their new healthy and ethical food choices to mimic the taste, feel and look of meat as closely as possible. Beyond Meat has some innovative meat substitutes such as Beyond Sausage, which ‘looks, sizzles and satisfies like pork. Their product Beyond Burgers consists of burger patties that ‘looks, cooks and satisfies like beef’. The company tries to answer the question “Why do you need an animal to create meat?” and has products that “build meat directly from plants”.
There are many other companies in the west that cater to this ethical and healthy lifestyle change that so many choose to make. This has triggered the invention of things such as ‘Tofurkey’ (a faux turkey meat made from tofu or seitan) the vegan BBQ chik'n nuggets from Morning Star. These are plant based but they are trying very hard to satisfy the palate of the common or garden omnivore. These are foods that let people make the ‘ethical and healthy’ choice and feel good about this without sacrificing what they are habituated to eating.
Nondairy cheese
Vegans eschew all animal based foods, including milk and milk products. So they have spent a lot of time, effort and resources in creating plant based ‘milks’, nondairy cheeses and so on. Instagram vegans who plug these products are significant social media influencers with big followings and a lot of clout. They have made veganism cool; something of an evolved lifestyle choice; something to aspire to. So much so, that MacDonald’s is also offering vegan options on their menu now!
Examples of Beyond Meat seem to suggest that veganism is going mainstream. While this may be a good thing in itself, it is not clear whether these companies are actually giving people a healthier lifestyle option. Though they may advertise their products as ‘healthy’ or ‘plant based’, they are still mass produced, highly processed food products with high fat and salt content. As such they are likely to be laden with preservatives and artificial colours as well. So when vegan food literally becomes junk food, is it still healthy and ethical? Is it better for the ‘planet’ and for our bodies as claimed? Certainly the environmental cost of manufacturing, packaging and transporting these products is as much as any other? Aren’t these foods just a conveniently packaged option meant to make us feel better; perhaps a wee bit superior about what we choose to eat?
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