BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

The Austrian family business Fleischlos (“Meatless”) grows king oyster mushrooms and turns them into and other products that like meat, but are From Lab entirely plant-based. to Fork Will plant-based proteins brewed in bioreactors save the planet?

by Andrew Standen-Raz

o the late chef Anthony “We know from retailers like Spar that Bourdain, “Life with- 80% of the veggie products are bought by out veal stock, , meat-eaters who want variety,” confirms , organ meat, Felix Hnat, an environmental economist demi-glace, or even and chairman of Austria stinky cheese is not a (VGÖ). Plant-based familiar favorites are life worth living.” drawing in omnivorous “flexitarians” Vegetarians, he wrote in Kitchen Confi- tempted by ice cream, fish and chips, fried dential, “are the enemy of everything good chicken, scallops and even foie gras – Tand decent in the human spirit, an affront to all made with protein. Billionaires all I stand for – the pure enjoyment of food.” like Bill Gates and Richard Branson are Bourdain was no kinder toward vegans, investors in competing plant-based burg- calling them vegetarians’ “Hezbollah-like ers. Celebrities help, too. The increasingly splinter-faction.” popular “” vegan month this In the ’90s, when a veggie plate meant year attracted Jay Z and Beyonce, who soggy courgettes, it was easy for the red lasted 22 days. meat guys to laugh along to Denis Leary’s “Should the methods we invented at the standup routine No Cure for Cancer. start of the Industrial Revolution always be “Eggplant like eggplant, but meat the right answer to everything?” asks tastes like murder. And murder tastes Hanni Rützler, Austrian food scientist and pretty good.” author of the 2019 Food Report from her In the intervening years, ever-cheaper Future Food Studio. “We can’t go back, but meat seemed worth the cognitive disso- we can reinvent.” The continued success of nance it required to ignore its torturous plant-based proteins, and other alternatives journey to the table. Almost 40 years later, such as in vitro meat and insects, depends with a new generation raised on recycling, not only on how we continue to produce real electric cars and ethical consumerism, meat, but whether you believe farm animals vegans may be having the last laugh: “Plant- have a future at all. based proteins” – vegan food for a new age Rützler, who carefully sources her meat – are the fastest growing food trend in the from independent farmers, views change as developed world since organic farming. inevitable. “There’s a consciousness

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“To sustainably feed 10 billion people by 2050, we urgently need alternative proteins.” Kurt Schmidinger, Austrian geophysicist & food scientist, founder of Future Food

The EU Food and Farming Forum took place in Brussels, To Silicon Valley food scientists, May 29-30, aiming to waste and just 1 calorie for NYC chefs are impressed that it even devel- it’s all about total disruption – construct a comprehensive human consumption.” ops a Maillard reaction crust, the browning break what can’t be fixed. Pat Common Food Policy. Brown’s “Impossible that produces meat’s addictive flavors. Brown, the vegan CEO and found- The International Panel of Burger” packs almost But the process is genetic, done in a sterile er of the San Francisco-based Im- Experts on Sustainable Food identical good nutrients lab. Brown’s biotech team chose not to ex- Systems brings together possible Foods, calls cows a failed to , but is made with tract heme from soy roots, which would take experts from different “food production technology.” disciplines since 2015. 95% less land use, 74% up a lot of land, but to grow it by inserting Brown’s “Impossible Burger” is less water, 87% less soy leghemoglobin genes into Pichia Pasto- the most hyped plant-based prod- greenhouse gas emis- ris yeast. It couldn’t be further from the uct in years, a product he says was motivated sions, no antibiotics or hormones and zero happy “Farm to Fork” ideal of the natural, by wanting to solve “the most important and animal cruelty. It’s the realization of the organic farm movement. urgent problem in the world” he could. vegan’s dream of a future of hypocrisy-free, It’s a sentiment shared by Kurt ethical eating. With over half a billion dollars SHAKING UP PROTEINS Schmidinger, Austrian geophysicist, food in funding since last year, Impossible’s new A more radical, sustainable protein option is scientist and founder of Future Food, who 5,500m2 factory will crank out a million in vitro meat. At the Indiebio biotech accel- A plant-based diet is becoming increasingly met Brown in 2009. “To sustainably feed 10 pounds of plant-based meat every month. erator in California, white-coated millenni- growing that it makes sense to reconsider Science reports shocking loss- popular in Austria, with Policy, to summon the spirit, if billion people by 2050, we urgently need al- The Impossible Burger, which struggled als grow proteins in petri dishes, using AI, how to feed animals, how they should live, es in biodiversity: 83% of wild numbers of vegetarians and not the letter of the ’68 genera- ternative proteins,” says Schmidinger. He to get full FDA approval, is a more funda- and brewing them in bioreactors. Finless how to slaughter them. How we want to mammals and half of plant va- vegans tripling since 2005 tion. “They asked for the im- echoes Brown’s statements on the ineffi- mental innovation than most. It’s designed Foods calculates they can produce one make our food.” As Lévi-Strauss wrote, we rieties, most in the last 50 (from 2.5% of the population possible, we ask for strategy!” ciency of cows: “The meat industry is a gi- to look, cook, smell and even bleed like real metric tonne of meat from a single fish cell. have to “think food,” not merely eat it. years. The journalScience con- to over 9%), says the VGÖ. Schutter reminded the dele- gantic wasting game. The average meat thanks to heme, a plant-derived blood- Rützler was invited by the food scientist For Austrians under 40, the cludes that even the most “ex- gates to also focus on the vast animal converts 7 plant calories into 5 calo- like molecule analogous to the hemoglobin Mark Post to the first tasting of hisau naturel share rises to formidable 17%, THE POTEMKIN FOOD INDUSTRY tensively” farmed, sustain- with women in the lead. social inequalities created by ries of manure, 1 calorie of that makes our blood red and meat pink. Top in vitro meat in London in 2013, funded by Cheap meat has costs. It’s no secret, able, low-impact organic beef our current food chain – deci- according to hundreds of studies, that our uses 36 times more land and sions made in Europe affect the global food chain is challenged in ways that produces six times more of the greenhouse globe. For the working group on proteins, affect us more deeply than we may realize, gases that contribute to global warming than the prospect of real change veered from cau- with livestock farming the principal culprit. plant-based protein, such as peas. tiously hopeful (a proud Tuscan farmer of Farm animals, totaling 65 billion, do also Politicians in Brussels believe the sustain- prize heritage cattle) to bleak: Saoirse “Should the answers we invented at constitute some 60% of mammals alive on ability issues can be fixed. Olivier De Schut- McHugh of Food Sovereignty Ireland moni- the planet, who occupy almost half of the ter, the co-chair of the 2018 EU Food and tored the decline of wild salmon by millions the start of the Industrial Revolution Earth’s territory, either for grazing or feed Farming Forum (EU3F) in Brussels, called each year at an Alaskan Salmon lodge. crops – land lost to human use or to other on 200 key food experts gathered to co- “There isn’t a future for eating fish unless always be the right ones?” species. The Israeli Weizman Institute of create a new, sustainable Common Food you’re really rich.” FORUM. & FARMING EDEN / EU FOOD TIMOTHY NEXT PAGE: FLEISCHLOS; THIS PAGE: FLEISCHLOS; PAGE: PREVIOUS PHOTOS: Hanni Rützler, Austrian food scientist & author of the 2019 Food Report

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Genetically produced salmon is already on and heritage. For all our 10,000 years of there’s any replacement for the texture and sale. Memphis Meats, which just raised an- settled civilization, the best foods have musculature and funk of real meat.” “McDonald’s could be having us eat insect other $17 million, harvests cultured meat brought us together in a Julia Child-level Rützler points to the traditional Viennese from cells instead of animals, so “you can feel mess of smoky , unhealthy dairy creams café that now has fresh herbs on every table. burgers within two months.” good about how it’s made because we strive and charred proteins. Codes and symbol- “What will help is to focus more on quality Saoirse McHugh, geneticist & representative of Food Sovereignty Ireland at the EU3F to make it better for you … and for the ism reflect centuries of recipes, significant and respect for animals,” she says, “to real- world.” Even flies are being researched moments with families, big deals and lov- ize that historically we didn’t have meat so in the Israeli startup scene, according to ers. The hyper-efficiency of plant-based readily available; that what we pay for meat Rützler. Sterile labs may be replacing earthy foods seems lifeless in comparison. now has nothing to do with reality. farms, but you no longer have to be a mur- So, what did Anthony Bourdain think of “Although I cannot think of Vienna derer to enjoy tasty proteins. the Impossible Burger? “It doesn’t fill me without meat,” she adds with a laugh. Despite chefs like Ferran Adria reinvent- with joy,” he replied dryly. “As somebody “There will be aWiener Schnitzel from now ing cooking at the molecular level, it’s nat- who spent 30 years as a chef, of course I’m until the end of time.” ural to view food through a prism of history going to be resistant to the notion that Or a genetic facsimile.

“It all started with doubts. As moved to factory farming, I began to look for alternatives.” Hermann Neuburger, founder and CEO of Fleischlos

CityAirportTrain.com While the substance of Fleischlos sausages is made new reward: Sergey Brin of Google. With of mushrooms, it is held protein, beetroot for faking million in their Fleischlos vegan product Rützler’s own preference for together by artificial sausage meat’s blood, coconut oil to line, while an old chicken producer in Otta- Join our bonus club now! traditional organic farming and casing. The burger of mimic meat fat, or mush- wa now breeds 30 million insects. Security California-based Impossible classical French cuisine, it’s not rooms to reproduce meat tex- “Loblaws, the largest supermarket chain Foods, right, promises Your benefits: Fast Lane surprising she wasn’t entirely meaty delights without the ture and savory flavor. in Canada, can’t restock their shelves fast at the airport! bowled over with the flavour. actual thing. Brown’s burger requires large enough with insect powder,” confirms Paul • faster and more convenient ticket booking “You really have to work amounts of wheat for mimick- Uys, a committee member of the Interna- through the thought that the ing meat’s chewiness and bite tional Panel of Experts in food Sustainability • collect points with every online purchase meat you’re eating will never be a piece of – an ingredient with a huge footprint, like (IPES), which runs the EU3F. Big corpora- meat. It hasn’t got any fat.” many plant-based products. tions also influence millenials’ eating habits. • enjoy exclusive offers and rewards A proponent of urban gardening, Rützler Some Austrian farmers accept adaptation “McDonald’s could be having us eat insect is more circumspect about the planet-saving over bankruptcy. “The Burgenland milk burgers within two months,” notes claims of the plant-based food industry. producer Mona saw no future in cow milk, McHugh. “In vitro will definitely happen,” “There are many available simple solutions, invested in and now is No. 2 in predicts Uys, and will be “on the market but it is amazing that we always discuss effi- Europe with brands like Joya and Dream,” within three to five years.” ciency but not selection. There’s so much notes Hnat. But there has been pushback more to eat out there.” from traditional farming lobbies. “The AMA THE FUTURE TASTES LIKE CHICKEN Those worst affected by our global food doesn’t promote plant-based milk alterna- Perhaps only this new generation, already chain already subsist on mostly meat-free tives,” adds Hnat. “The VAT for cow’s milk thinking differently about issues like priva-

diets, and consider hunger, human rights or is 13%, the VAT for plant-based Austrian or- cy, dating, health and the environment, will Werbung Bezahlte access to clean water before the issues that ganic soy milk is 20%.” Farmers fight against embrace an alternative protein future with drive Silicon Valley. Will plant-based food the use of terms like “milk” and “sausage” its grandiose promises. Hnat is positive: swap one flawed mass production process for for non-meat or dairy products. But compe- “Plant-based alternatives can be a another? Eradicating livestock simply to tition is stiff: Austrian Hermann Neuburg- game-changer if they taste better, are

grow single varieties of peas for pea isolate er’s meat company has invested over €25 cheaper and are easily available.” BURGER. IMPOSSIBLE RIGHT: FLEISCHLOS; LEFT TO PHOTOS:

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