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As the market for protein alternatives evolves, scientists are testing hybrid approaches that combine traditional and new sources, but not everyone is convinced. the recipe for the future
New research from Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that combining plant proteins, often soy, pea or wheat, with meat, cultured animal cells, fungi, insects or proteins derived from microbes could produce tastier food. like real meat, provide better nutrition and reduce your environmental footprint.
“The main goal is to increase the health and sustainability of the modern food supply by combining the benefits of different protein sources,” David Julian McClements, distinguished professor of food science at UMass Amherst, told Fox News Digital.
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the study, co-authored by McClements and Tufts Professor David L. Kaplan, it was published in Frontiers in Science in late September.
Affordable and nutritious alternatives to meat are needed to reduce reliance on factory farming, reduce carbon emissions and health risks, and help prevent future livestock-related pandemics, the researchers say.
But the traditional meat industry isn’t buying it.
Although plant proteins are cheap and scalable, they often lack the flavor and texture of meat, the researchers said. (iStock)
“No one outside of Silicon Valley is asking for sprawling, data center-like facilities to pop up all over rural America and start producing ultra-processed, inferior food,” Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs for the Colorado-based National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, told Fox News Digital.
“The protein collected from a fungus, pile of bugs or industrial-sized bioreactor will never beat real American beef.”
Mixture of forces
Hybrid foods could also address current weaknesses products of plant origin, which often lack flavor and texture and are seen as overly processed. Combining different proteins can also help balance essential amino acids.
Each protein source brings something to the table, the researchers wrote. Plant proteins are cheap and plentiful, but they lack texture. Mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, mimics the fibrous chewing of meat. Cultured meat brings authentic flavor and nutrition but it remains costly to scale.
“By combining them with plant-derived ingredients, it’s possible to make food more economically viable,” McClements said.
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Still, the researchers acknowledge that cost reduction alone will not guarantee widespread adoption.
Dan Blaustein-Rejto, director of food and agriculture at the California-based think tank The Breakthrough Institute, said research shows that Americans rarely cut back on meat, even when cheaper plant-based options are available.
“This implies that substantial improvements are needed, not only in price, but also in taste, texture and nutrition, to attract more people,” he told Fox News Digital.
Mycelium, the root-like network of fungi, can be mixed with proteins to create hybrid foods with a more natural texture. (iStock)
Insects, meanwhile, offer high-quality protein and healthy fats with a small environmental footprint, the study found. Microbial fermentation – the use of yeast or bacteria to produce proteins, vitamins and natural flavors – can also make hybrid foods look and taste more like meat, while reducing the need for additives.
“Hybrid foods could give us delicious taste and texture without breaking the bank or the planet,” Kaplan said in a press release.
From the lab to the plate
The researchers say the cultured cells can be extracted from unharmed animals, grown in bioreactors and mixed with plant-based foods for added flavor and texture.
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Hybrid products already exist in limited forms, including sausages or hamburgers that mix mycelium or grains with animal or egg proteins, or Singapore’s cultured meat and vegetable blends.
“As with all new foods, it is critical to evaluate the safety and nutritional profiles of hybrid food products.”
“Meat is often mixed with plant sources like grains to spread it out,” McClements said. “This was true of the sausages they eat in the UK”
Mixtures of plants and mycelium are likely to reach consumers first, as they already have limited commercial use.
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Only a few countries, including the United States and Singapore, currently allow the sale of cultured meat.
Several states have banned or restricted the manufacture and sale of lab-grown meat. (iStock)
In the US, however, the regulatory landscape remains patchy. Although federal agencies have approved limited sales of cultured meat, some states, including Alabama, Florida and Texas, have decided to ban or restrict the manufacture and sale of lab-grown meat products.
Challenges and next steps
In addition to regulation, the biggest obstacles are price, scale of production and consumer acceptance, said McClements.
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“As with all new foods, it is critical to evaluate the safety and nutritional profiles of hybrid food products,” he said.
While no protein source is perfect, he said hybrids create products that are “more than the sum of their parts.”
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The concept could eventually expand beyond meat to include plant mixes of insects, mycelium plants or milk plants, he said.
Progress, the researchers said, will depend on collaboration between scientists, regulators and food industry to standardize testing, expand production and increase consumer confidence.
