Growing Concerns About Health Risks and Increasing Consumer Focus on Wellness Driving Adoption of Alternate Proteins
The rise in demand for high-quality protein is driving up livestock production, which can lead to increased pressures in land and water use, possible resource scarcity and even increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Red meat, being a popular choice of protein can potentially cause health issues on regular consumption. In addition, there is a growing interest in healthier food choices of consumers across the globe. These have led to the growing interest for alternative protein sources, such as plant-based, microbial-based and edible insects. These commonly referred to as ‘eco-friendly’ protein sources, are being touted as viable solutions to current animal proteins and over-farming. These alternative protein sources also serve to fulfil religious and ethical considerations. It is also important to achieve a balance of multiple protein sources to ensure optimum nutrition.
It is also realized that while there is a wide range of alternative proteins being researched, challenges related to taste, texture and palatability still need to be overcome, especially for newer alternatives based on insects and cell culture.
This research service titled “Innovation Landscape of Protein Alternatives in the F&B Industry” discusses the recent developments in alternative proteins with a specific focus to the F&B industry that is being considered as viable alternatives for animal proteins sources.
