Meal-worm cookies and protein substitutes
TORONTO Forget bland tofu and spongy soya cheese: Meat and dairy substitutes are truly about to get interesting. The alternative protein sector is among the top six most important innovation trends of 2016, Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google parent company Alphabet Inc., has declared, and big-name investors are lining up to get a slice of the animal-free action. Here’s a look at some of the meatless ways we could be getting our protein in the future.
INSECTS
Dozens of startups have launched over the past few years trying to convince people that chowing down on cricket flour protein bars and mealworm cookies is both nutritious and tasty. Fast Company estimated the industry’s worth at US$20 million in 2014. The main hurdle, of course, is a cultural one: Most of us in the Western world have been raised to think bugs are gross.
MICROALGAE
Protein makes up 50 to 60 per cent of microalgae, a type of single-celled organism that is a promising alternative source. Companies such as Energybits are turning algae into nutritional supplements for athletes, while health-food companies have been using spirulina, or blue-green algae, as a superfood ingredient for years. But more research needs to be done in order to produce algae at a large enough scale to reach the mainstream consumer.
POWDERS
The ultimate efficient food source is one you don’t have to prepare or eat at all. The meal replacement powder Soylent has already gained a loyal following, promising to “provide all the protein, carbohydrates, lipids, and micronutrients that a body needs to thrive” without the inconvenience of chewing. There’s even a powder called Sani that can be personalized and then mixed with water or baked into cookies and breads.
LEGUMES AND PULSES
It’s no secret that chickpeas, kidney beans and other legumes and pulses are great sources of animalfree protein. Two University of Guelph students won a national competition at the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology conference with Fiberger that mixes pulse flour into ground beef, reducing the amount of meat without compromising on protein. Pea protein is also a common ingredient in technologically enhanced meat alternatives such as the Beyond Burger, a competitor to the Impossible Burger.
3D PRINTING
It’s possible to make food with a 3D printer today, but only if you purée it and squeeze it through a tube first. That process works great for German company Biozoon Food Innovations, which makes a product called Smoothfood that is served at senior’s homes, but is unlikely to satisfy the mainstream consumer