What Will Take A Bite Out Of Big Meat?
Chloe Sorvino
Food and Agriculture Staff Writer at Forbes Magazine | Author, Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed and the Fight for the Future of Meat
When I first tried Atlast Food Co.’s so-called MyBacon — an alternative made from the roots of mushrooms called mycelium — I was caught-off guard by how impressed I was. Cooking it was an enjoyably familiar experience. Where the mycelium’s texture and mouthfeel were lacking and required a little boost for the imagination, modern flavor science came in to offer the waft expected when cooking fatty bacon. Surprisingly comforting smells were then followed by a sight that also felt and sounded familiar, bubbles forming on top of the bacon as it actually sizzled.
I wrote about the bacon for Forbes this week, because Atlast had some big news to announce: a $40 million series a, from investors including Lisa Feria’s Stray Dog Capital, Robert Downey Jr.’s Footprint Coalition Ventures and the founders of Applegate and Stonyfield Organics, to name a few. The money will help Atlast produce its mycelium at the entry level of industrial scale. Atlast has figured out how to get the mycelium to not sprout any mushrooms and instead the mycelium grows into a convenient box looking structure that, when cut, is a great starting point for making an alternative bacon. Much better than say, soy protein isolate, which needs a lot of fat to get to the right consistency for a burger.
I’ve been watching Atlast and the company it spun-off from, Ecovative, for a long time. From what I understand, its mycelium holds one of the best chances we've got of producing a less processed alternative protein, without ties to industrial row crops and soil degradation, at scale. I am stilling learning about what it takes to produce its mycelium in industrial quantities, and in June I’m hoping to tour Atlast’s production facility. I’m expecting nothing less than Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, except, a myctopia
I discussed the story on Clubhouse earlier this morning — you can listen to recordings of the Future Food News Review here (today's will be up Monday). It’s a weekly conversation with a rotating crew of many of my favorite food journalists. The next piece up for review was from The Counter’s Lela Nargi, and it was the perfect segue. When I originally saw it on Twitter, I'm pretty sure I said aloud: YES. The title? “There’s been a groundswell of investor funding in plant-based proteins. It hasn’t led to decreased meat consumption.” Nargi’s piece brings up the concerns that plant-based hype won’t do much to quell growing meat demand, which is a big problem I've been contending with myself.
The idea that the plant-based funding frenzy is getting co-opted is a core part of my book. Hoards of startup founders are drooling over the idea of dethroning industrial meat, but the top meatpackers continue to control massive amounts of power and profits, at the detriment of producers and consumers. Business is booming, while we are running out of time to solve the problems of industrialized and subsidized meat production — even though it’s crucial that meaningful gains for more accessible and wholesome protein are made before the end of the decade.
The climate clock is ticking, with soils deteriorating fast. The system which produces America’s meat, as is, needs a major overhaul. But community-based solutions need a chance to work out the operational kinks before systems are put to the test as climate change really kicks in.
Let’s pause here, because I missed Mind Feeder’s first birthday earlier this month, and I want to say thank you so much for reading along with me. Maybe you subscribed a year ago, or maybe it’s been in the past few months, but please know it has meant so much to have you here. It’s given me an outlet where I can experiment with my voice and be completely me, which is a rare gift for a working writer. It means a lot, and it’s kept me going as I power through these last few weeks before my first book draft deadline. I’m really excited to share more about what I’ve been up to soon. In the meantime, don’t do what I’m going to be doing all weekend, which is working. Take a hike. Eat some ramps! I need to get my hands on some. Cooking a shrimp scrampi sounds like a good weekend goal. From my terrace garden office, I’m wishing you a restful weekend.
— Chloe Sorvino
Fresh Bites:
How algae can help feed the world. USDA expands food stamp benefits for lowest-income households. Plant-Based milk companies are doubling down on efforts to address sustainability. Olive Garden’s pay policies allegedly encourage racial discrimination and sexual harassment. What a devastating frost in several French wine regions means for smaller harvests and production this year. Caviar, Champagne, No Masks: Inside the VIP dinners in lockdown Paris causing an uproar. Domino’s, Nuro test autonomous pizza delivery. How Hungryroot reached a $175 million run rate in under a year. Why Taco Bell’s Times Square digital restaurant is a big deal. Why the wine cocktail category is exploding. How Slice is empowering local pizzerias in the digital age.
Weekend Reading:
Molson Coors Buys A Minority Share In A Craft Brewery Staffed By Rival Gang Members. TRU Colors’ revolutionary business model helps boost the brewery’s stated commitment to diversity and communities of color. This is a powerful scoop by Tara Nurin.
Levain’s Ready-To-Bake Cookies Make Nationwide Debut. The New York City bakery is the latest cult-favorite to get into retail: Levain announced this week exclusively in Forbes that it has started rolling out a ready-to-bake version of its iconic colossal cookies at Whole Foods stores nationwide this month. The frozen section never looked so hot.
If The U.S. Is A Nation Of Innovation, Why Aren’t We Embracing Cell-Cultured Meat? Expediting U.S. regulatory approval for cell-cultured meat would help address some of the most pressing issues of our time, posits Brian Kateman.
From Executive Chef To Entrepreneur: Why Kia Damon Is Dedicating Her Life To Feeding LGBTQ+ and Black Communities. After serving as Lalito’s executive chef, Cherry Bombe’s culinary director and Chopped champion Kia Damon is paying it back to her communities, as reported by Forbes’ Alex Sternlicht.
Hazel Technologies’ Food-Waste Solutions Get $70 Million Boost From Investors. Can a little sachet the size of a sugar packet make a dent in the world’s growing food waste problem? Hazel Technologies, the maker of just such a product, has raised $70 million to expand its food-waste solution globally, writes Robin Schatz. The company says its products can triple the shelf life of produce.
+Say Hi: I'll be moderating a conversation with Notco's founder and CEO Matias Muchnick on 1:45 p.m. EST on May 4 at the Food Edge Virtual Summit. Notco is a Bezos-backed startup which leverages artificial intelligence and uses machine learning algorithms to find new combinations of plant-based ingredients that replicate the taste of animal protein. I hope you'll join us!
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Microalgae for tomorrow's AG!
2 年Can't happen soon enuf! There are several solutions to the climate crisis that aren't getting ANY attn? I am one of them and I can't get any responses from Gov't agencies. Same old thing to much bureaucracy to make use of modern AG technology
CPG | Fractional CMO, GM and start-up CEO | Food & Beverage (Alcohol & Non-Alc) | Co-founder, former CEO of SunDaze RTD cocktails | Advisor to emerging, established brands, venture capital/private equity
3 年Another great article Chloe Sorvino. For me, as a bacon lover who will never not be, the issue is the sensorial "eating" experience and singular aroma. This may look like bacon, it may taste like bacon, but bacon, as a cultural institution, is so much more. It has a specific scent. Crisp bacon crumbles a certain way. We appreciate crisp vs. floppy bacon. Good article from the The Washington Post, here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/04/inside-little-known-world-flavorists-who-are-trying-make-plant-based-meat-taste-like-real-thing/
Best-Selling Author; International Freelance Writer Covering Drinks, Dining and Destinations; ED of the Transcending Trauma Program
3 年Thanks, Chloe!
Chloe Sorvino Another very good article. What is missing from the overall plant based story is the lack of understanding from many of the plant based entrepreneurs as to the deep cultural bonds that bind American's to Meat based products. Milk was an easy target for plant based brands because people are not bound to milk culturally in the same they are to meat based products and barbecuing. Plant based products will continue to increase adoption but over time it will slow as it runs smack in to Culture.
Executive Director of Reducetarian Foundation; Contributor to Forbes, Fast Company, etc.
3 年My favorite newsletter in the sphere! I too have been thinking a lot about this, and I have to admit I’m confused by the discourse in the food world right now. If per capita meat consumption was 223 pounds last year but would have been 225 if it weren’t for plant-based meat, isn’t that a good thing? Maybe next year meat consumption will be 225 pounds, but it would have been 230 pounds without plant-based meat. In other words, even if the market never ends factory farming, it still matters that it helps slow its growth, even if it continues to grow. Do you know what I mean counterfactually speaking? An awful world is better than a more awful world. It’s possible the market will help end factory farming as it grows, but either way, we’re asking too much of it—we need policy, education, etc. Every strategy has a role to play in making the world a better place. A lot of smart people have different perspectives on this so I’m eager to learn! But wanted to share my two cents.