Good and bad of plant-based eating

A growing number of Filipinos, mostly young adults, are embracing a lifestyle of alternative protein intake or what is now more popularly known as plant-based eating. Usually, it comes from a desire to eat healthy, which jives with an overall increased awareness of the need for healthy living.

One other prevalent reason is linked to the ideological movement to protect Earth, following the United Nations’ recommendation for humans to shift to a plant-based diet and alternative sources of protein to cut methane emissions, thereby helping slow down global warming.

Whether plant-based diets will become mainstream in people’s lives or cool down to become a niche community of hard-core believers, much like vegetarianism, is yet to be seen. Already, however, a few critical views of plant-based eating are emerging that give pause to its health and environmental benefits.

Years ago, before this explosion of plant-based foods, doctors who confronted unhealthy patients for overeating meat and its processed derivatives like bacon, canned meat loafs, and hot dogs were asked to shift to a diet of less fatty meats, more leafy vegetables, and no processed foods. Beans and tofu were often made to substitute for animal meats; sugar and salt were carefully measured. This could become quite tedious.

Like real meat

Today, those who watch their diets can simply choose to buy plant-based meats, as more companies now produce them. However, with the wider choice available, it has become essential to read the labels closely before actually buying. Many of  the plant-based sausages, burgers, or nuggets, for example, are often fried, seasoned with salt, and zested with ingredients that are not healthy.

The production of plant-based meats have acquired a certain sophistication, so that it tastes more palatable, thanks to a host of flavorings, artificial colors, and processing aids to make them almost indistinguishable from real meat.

While feasting on plant-based meats is may be healthier than consuming cholesterol-laden beef, pork, lamb, or chicken for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, some dietary values have supposedly gone missing. Plant-based meats go through a high level of processing that ultimately removes some of its health values.

These new findings, coupled with the high cost of plant-based meats, pose questions on this nascent industry’s sustainability.

Ultra high processing

As the popularity for plant-based lifestyles increases, the problems associated with commercialization crop up. In order to meet growing demand, companies resort to ultra high processing, which scientists warn can generate green house gas (GHG) emissions that negate gains achieved from lowering the mass production of livestock.

The production of milk from plants such as almonds, soya, and coconut to replace animal milk is another area where ultra high processing technology cannot be avoided. Additionally, most plant-based milks contain sugar, oil, salt, and thickening and stabilizing agents.

With the commercialization of plant-based foods comes the unavoidable use of packaging to protect or extend shelf lives, not to mention the freezing and refrigeration necessary to store them.

Today, a number of companies have invested big in plant-based food manufacturing, marketing, and distribution. Some of them, like Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat and UK-based Quorn have global networks that have reached even the Philippines.

Locally, Century Pacific Food and San Miguel Corp. are two of the country’s food conglomerates that have recently ventured into plant-based foods. Both have an expanding presence in the country, and are competing well against imported brands.

Keeping track

Truly, the production of the “modern” plant-based meats has moved up to a different level, quite unlike the traditional method of pulsing or grinding of legumes to produce soymeal or tofu and soy milk that most traditional vegetarians favor.

Mindful of this, scientists issuing in cautionary warnings about the need to continually monitor that the benefits of producing meat alternatives for the world’s 8 billion people in the future will not undermine the intended health and environment goals.

The 2022 UN Climate Change Conference or COP27 is winding down this week, and the targets set in the COP21 Paris Agreement to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, ideally not above 1.5°C, continue to be in danger of not being met.

The operational details for the practical implementation of the binding Paris agreement involving 196 countries, colloquially called the Paris Rulebook, was finalized only last year during the COP in Glasgow, Scotland, representing a six-year administrative delay.

Among the action plans that nations are expected to draft deals with changes in the food sector, particularly reducing emissions in agriculture and across the food chain. Eating less meat and dairy products, especially from ruminant animals, is a recommended action point.

The UK, for example, targets to reduce consumption of most carbon-intensive foods like beef, lamb, and dairy by at least 20 percent per capita to plant-based options by 2030, and a further 15 percent by 2050.

A new study by scientists from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley supports the view that phasing out animal agriculture over the next 15 years would have the same effect as a 68 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions through 2100. This alone represents more than half of the net emission reductions needed to limit global warming to 2°C.

As the world’s population is cajoled to adopting plant-based eating in favor of a healthier diet and for the world’s survival, I think about that juicy steak that I could have for dinner today. Luckily, it’s still one pleasure to enjoy, albeit in moderation.

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