When non-vegetarians start to like vegetable meat

Meat alternatives are not new in Thailand, what's new is that meat-eaters are developing a taste for them. 

Traditionally, plant-based meats - mainly made from wheat and soy - are intended for vegetarian Buddhists who seek to avoid consuming animals for religious reasons.

See: Vegetarianism in Thailand

In 2020, however, new innovative products made from a more diverse range of ingredients began to attract a lucrative and unlikely audience... meat-eaters.

For the agricultural nations of Southeast Asia, this change could translate into an unprecedented injection of funds.

The fact that plant-based meats are starting to appear on some Asian menus at several international restaurant chains shows just how much the paradigm has shifted.

While many foodservice providers are struggling, new plant-based offerings continue to be launched, recording net sales and growth rates that outpace their animal-based counterparts.

This growth is partly due to consumers' growing fear of animal diseases and demand for natural products.

Indeed, despite the pandemic that is putting the global food system in an extraordinary situation of tension and uncertainty, Asia-Pacific companies that focus on alternative proteins such as plant-based meat have raised more than €187 million (6.87 billion baht) in funding over the past year to accelerate their growth.

As highlighted in a new report entitled 'Asian Cropportunities', producers of certain raw materials are expected to benefit from this shift in society away from animal meat.

One of these raw materials that presents a huge growth potential in Thailand is the jackfruit.

See: The many benefits of jackfruit on health

The fibrous texture of the jackfruit, which is already a common ingredient in curries, has been compared to that of pork and absorbs any added seasoning, making it a popular alternative for consumers seeking 'less processed' products.

Jackfruit is rich in fiber and is one of the few fruits rich in B vitamins.

Despite its nutritional benefits and utility, most jackfruit, which is often grown as roadside flora rather than in orchards, is wasted in a given year, meaning a huge amount of bioavailability develops naturally.

In a recent interview, Danai Pathomvanich, Managing Director of NR Instant Produce PCL, a Thai food export company, stated that his company had doubled its sales of jackfruit because "consumer interest in health is a huge trend at the moment and the growth potential is enormous ".

See also: A company makes a fortune by turning jackfruit into pork

Mr. Danai said that plant-based products currently account for around 7% of his company's turnover, but he expects this figure to rise to 30% within four years.

But beyond the ingredients already available in Thailand, there are other 'opportunities' waiting for local producers and investors.

Konjac - an underutilized root vegetable that has become a key ingredient in mimicking certain textures in plant-based seafood - lends itself well to cultivation expansion, given that it can be successfully planted alongside rubber, which is already a big business locally.

In addition to its textural benefits, konjac is perhaps best known as an ingredient in dietary supplements designed to help people lose weight.

In many Asian markets, one of the main factors driving consumers to adopt a more plant-based diet is weight loss.

A plant-based meat product containing konjac therefore has the potential to be very attractive.

Abandoning conventional animal meat has many benefits that go beyond our own health.

Meat made from innovative plant-based ingredients such as jackfruit and konjac also have a much lower climate footprint than their animal-based counterparts.

In fact, raising and slaughtering animals for food are among the top two or three main causes of the most serious environmental problems, at all scales, from global to local.

For example, to produce chicken meat, nine calories of chicken feed must be given to an animal to obtain just one calorie in the form of edible meat.

In a world where climate risk is increasing and natural resources are declining, this is an inefficiency that Thailand would be well advised to reduce or eliminate.

Thai national leaders have already put in place many programs to support what has been described as 'smart agriculture' by integrating new technologies to increase production and modernize agricultural practices.

See also: Self-sufficiency economy in Thailand, Rama IX's gift

This government support perfectly encourages local producers and business leaders to take advantage of the rush towards alternative proteins and plant-based meat - if they are forward-thinking enough to seize it.

See also:

3.8% of vegetarian festival dishes contain meat

The Vegetarian Festival of Phuket and throughout Thailand

An article by Ryan Huling, Head of Communications and Programs at the Good Food Institute Asia Pacific.

Source: bangkokpost.com