modified foods (GMOs) were first brought to the United States. In 2018, there was still a lot of talk about what and how we will ingest in the future. Australia’s CSIRO says that food consumption will keep growing at a rate of 14% per decade, meaning that food production will almost double its current rate.
So, what will we eat over the next 20 years, and how will we feed the more than 10 billion people on Earth by 2050? Here are five changes that are likely to improve food security, meet the growing demand for food worldwide, and lead to more sustainable food production worldwide.
Insects with a lot of protein
How would you feel about burgers, flour, and snack bars made from bugs? Yes, eating bugs, often called “entomophagy,” is the future meal. It is common in Thailand, China, Brazil, Mexico, and several African countries.
Insect farming is seen as a sustainable way to feed the world’s people in a way that is good for the environment. This is important for food security. Some insect species, like crickets, crickets, and mealworms, are quickly becoming very popular as high-protein foods. This idea is helpful in two ways:
- Mainly focused on getting people in developing countries to eat enough.
- Reduce the effects of the meat-heavy western diet on the environment by a lot.
Known investors in insect farming include:
European companies that invest a lot in insect farming include Future Positive Capital in the UK, Aqua-Spark in the Netherlands, and Bpifrance FPCI Eco technologies in France.
Swiss supermarkets are now selling mealworm-based burgers:
Mealworms are already available in Switzerland, which is worth noting. FoodIngredientsFirst says that a Swiss company called Essento has made insect burgers that are safe for people to eat. They look like falafels and have a lot of essential things in them, like proteins, unsaturated fats, vitamins, and fibers. The new Swiss law on food safety, which went into effect in May 2017, lets food products be sold, including grasshoppers, cicadas, and mealworms.
Nuts that have no allergens
The tiger nut, or Cyperus baseband, is a weedy crop native to Southern Europe, Africa, Myanmar, the Mideast, and the Indian Subcontinent. They are known for having a lot of good nutrients, especially oleic acid, fiber, vitamins C and E, and mineral deposits like phosphorus and potassium. Most of the time, tiger nuts are used to make milk that doesn’t have gluten or lactose. This video shows how to add this exciting nut to your favorite smoothies.
Plant-based alternatives to meat
We are quickly learning how the production of meat affects the environment and species around the world. Are we getting close to dinner without meat? There’s no doubt that things are going up. People who care about their health want to see more plant-based products on the market with clear labels. Some companies are making foods that taste exactly like meat. Among many examples, here are a few:
Aside from Meat
This Los Angeles-based startup made the first burger made from plants. There are sausages made from plants, chicken strips made from soy and pea proteins, and beef crumbles made from pea proteins.
Family Fry
Like Beyond Food, this South African company makes more than 15 meat-like products from plants.
Unthinkable foods
The company from California has done the impossible by making a plant-based burger that heats up and oozes like a beef burger. The Impossible Burger made by the company just got Kosher certification. Due to all of these plant-based ideas, people will need to raise and kill fewer cattle and other animals to eat. This could help reduce the suffering of animals and deal with the issue of climate change.
If we switched to alternatives made from plants, we might use 15 times less water, emit less methane gas, and protect our beautiful rainforests from future damage. To avoid getting too few nutrients, we should keep eating less processed and more natural food made with nutrient-dense ingredients.
Algae
Algae farming could change the way we eat in a big way. Algae are common in marine and freshwater ecosystems, and some think they could help solve the problem of not having enough food. Algae farming has already started in Asia. It could be used to feed people and animals and become the most significant crop sector in the world.
Terramino Nutrients
This new company in San Francisco has developed a way to grow a fungus that can be used to make salmon burgers. Fresh fish is what it tastes, looks, and smells like. Kimberlie Le, co-founder and CEO of Terramino Foods says that the burger tastes like salmon because it has algae and other plant-based ingredients.
Overfishing and the buildup of pollutants like mercury and microplastics in fish are becoming more of a problem. Terramino’s algae-based seafood could be an excellent alternative to fish that is good for the environment.
Meat made in a laboratory
So, what will happen to meat eaters in the future? Scientists have suggested growing artificial meat in the lab to fight global warming and still give people who like meat access to beef. This scientific breakthrough began in 2013 when cow stem cells were used to grow ground beef.
Lab-grown meat, also called cultured meat or in-vitro meat, looks, cooks, smells, and tastes the same as ground beef. Several groups have already started to talk about this issue. For example, the United States Cattlemen’s Association and the federal government disagree about how beef and meat are legally defined.
In the same way, the Food Standards Australian and New Zealand (FSANZ) Authority will ensure that each lab-grown beef product in Australia is tested for public health and safety. Without a doubt, Aussies love their meat. So, the Australian government wishes to ensure that the promises made don’t trick customers or break consumer laws.
Conclusion
To sum up, the way we eat in the coming decades will be driven by the need to provide food security, eliminate food scarcity and hunger, avoid food intolerances and allergies, protect global biodiversity, push for clean food production, and limit animal cruelty.
Algae, fake meat, plant-based vegetarian meals, insect burgers, and protein bars could soon be on the menu around the world. Notably, it’s still unclear how various governments will restrict the claims about these new foods and how they will be sold.
