Blended Meat Could Boost Asia's Food Security

Integrating alternative proteins into animal meat could cut massive carbon hoofprint

- Ryan Huling

Consumer perception studies in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries show that plant-based meat is broadly viewed as an appealing menu option that, unfortunately, comes at a substantial cost. On average, plant-based meats cost 35 percent more than their animal counterparts, even as some fall short of expectations on taste and texture.

Until now, these factors have been driving consumers to satisfy their affinity for meat by purchasing resource-intensive, conventionally produced animal protein. And global meat production is projected to increase by at least 70 percent by 2050, compared with 2012 levels, fueled by a growing human population that is becoming more prosperous.

All this comes at the expense of Asia's food security and sustainability.

According to the World Resources Institute, conventional meat producers currently feed up to 100 calories to a cow to create just one calorie of beef. Such staggering inefficiency accelerates deforestation and water depletion locally and globally, and sets greenhouse gas emissions on an upward trajectory—the exact opposite of what is needed to meet climate targets.

But even as some start-ups and researchers remain laser-focused on enhancing the quality and price-competitiveness of plant-based meats, others are exploring a new strategy: combining plant proteins with animal meat to make one compelling product.

This new generation of "blended" products mixes conventional meat with high-quality alternative proteins—usually from soya, pea, or fungi—in a way that reduces the overall percentage of animal-sourced ingredients in the final product.

Integrating alternative proteins into conventional meat supply could substantially reduce our food system's massive carbon hoofprint, mitigate supply chain risks, and deliver significant public and personal health benefits.