this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2024
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[–] Droggelbecher 15 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Im having a hard time understanding why there's so much time and effort being put into finding new sustainable protein sources when we already have legumes

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Especially when the people who generally refuse to eat plant-based proteins are very often also the ones who think any sort of "alternative protein sources" like insects are some sort of woke UN feminist Jewish nazi plot to sap and impurify their precious bodily fluids. Is the average "carnivore" going to be any more interested in eating sea squirt than they are in eating crickets, broad beans, blue lupin, soy beans etc?

[–] Droggelbecher 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Politely disagree. I think we're kidding ourselves if right wing conspiracy theorists are the only anti plant based crowd. There's plenty of otherwise leftist people that would never question this one unjustified hierarchy. The meat and dairy industries have done a stellar job with advertising over many decades. Most people still believe we NEED meat or dairy to thrive. And even those that don't very often wouldn't give up the sensory pleasure of the taste and texture of meat or other animal products.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Politely disagree. I think we’re kidding ourselves if right wing conspiracy theorists are the only anti plant based crowd. There’s plenty of otherwise leftist people that would never question this one unjustified hierarchy.

More often than not those people aren't rabidly against plant-based or other such alternative protein sources, it seems like they just don't think to consume them.

[–] Droggelbecher 2 points 1 month ago

That is an important distinction, true! But that just means they're the target group of all those resource-intensive innovations towards animal based proteins that are more sustainable. So I felt it important to consider them.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

Seconded. Not disguising plant protein as animal is the key.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Taste and mouthfeel, generally

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I feel like we should be trying to engineer fusarium venenatum to express various animal proteins.

It already does a really good job as a meat substitute, and (unlike lab grown meat) the process for culturing it is very well understood and mature.

I don't know if trying to genetically engineer a fungus would present any special challenges vs a plant or bacteria though.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago

Sure I'd try it. I'm a fatass who will eat anything tho.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

Maybe work on the name. "Squirt burgers" will work for some but I don't know how much mass market appeal it has.

[–] Mango 2 points 1 month ago

No. I eat burgers because I know it's meat.